A New Sunrise
by bankai117
Summary: He was at the wrong place at the wrong time or right place at the right time, depending on who you asked. Now after his involvement during Ginza both he and his squad of Korean Marines were placed among the few that would be on the first wave through the Gate alongside the Japanese.
1. Battle of Ginza

Disclaimer: I don't own Gate, if I did then I wouldn't be writing this so yeah. Don't Sue Me. The only thing I do own is my OCs and I am not making any profit off of this. It'd be pretty cool if I did but nope, this is only a hobby of mine.

A/N: Many thanks to BlueWay who helped with my first chapter, really appreciate the time you put into helping me. I definitely feel more confident in this chapter with the tweaks I made to certain places to help with the flow of the chapter, although I'm certain to have screwed up somewhere.

Now onto the story.

* * *

A man walked down the street at a leisurely pace, strolling through the large crowds present at midday Ginza, Tokyo.

He thought back to what his commander had said to his unit. "After a weeks worth of military exercises with the JSDF I have decided to give you the option of having fun in Tokyo. Be thankful and have some fun. You all deserve it." And so without much thought he had left the base and took a taxi down to Ginza, Tokyo. Now that he was here, he didn't know what do. He'd never even stepped into Japan before the military exercise between the Koreans and Japanese. He sighed in boredom, if it was going to be like this then it would've been batter to have just stayed on base.

It was at this point that he remembered that like much of the world, had a miniature computer in his pocket.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his phone and began searching for some places to visit to pass the time. Maybe buy some souvenirs to take home. Or perhaps stop ignoring his growling stomach and stuff himself with some of the local cuisine. His fingers rapidly tapped on his phone as he practically embedded his face into the device. However despite being distracted by his phone the soldier found no issues with the pedestrians. His 5 foot 9 inch frame made him tower over many of the locals and caused the human traffic to naturally swerve around him. It didn't help that his shaved head gave him a rather intimidating look.

As he picked a restaurant to eat at a large gate appeared several hundred meters in front of him. For a minute he mimicked the crowd as they stared at the random and strange structure in curiosity.

Suddenly they heard a roar before a dragon along with a rider flew out of the structure. Immediately following was a hoard of individuals dressed ancient armor. They poured out of the structure and without warning began to slaughter the civilians, Seeing the brutal attacks shocked the civilians into action as they all began running away in a panicked manner, screaming all the while.

Within the crowd the soldier having witnessed the deaths of the first few Japanese citizens backpedaled before breaking out into a run away from the hostiles. He needed to fall back, regroup and get himself armed for the fight.

He thought to himself as he ran. "What the hell is going on?" Really what was going on? One minute he was enjoying a peaceful albeit hungry walk and then a bunch of angry motherfuckers pop out of a gate or archway or whatever the hell that was and start killing people. That doesn't happen, it shouldn't happen and yet behind the running soldier it was happening.

He mentally slapped himself, throwing away the line of thought. "Come on John focus here, you've gotta get the civilians to safely."

His answer came in the form of the first responders sirens. He stopped and yelled to the panicked crowd in Japanese. "Everyone run to the police! They'll get you to safety!" He hoped they would be enough until a proper response force could be assembled to drive back the hostiles.

"When I get my hands on a gun..." He gritted out in Korean feeling naked without a weapon.

As he rounded a corner and found himself face to face with one of the unknowns with a short sword in his right hand and wearing armor similar to those worn by the Romans.

The pair seemed to stay still, surprised at the sudden meeting.

"...!" Before John could make any moves against the swordsman, he swiped at the Korean, moving on instinct the soldier ducked down avoiding the swing and tackled his opponent to the ground.

The short sword fell out of the swordsman's hand as he was tackled by the soldier. Kicking John off of him in response, the swordsman scrambled to his sword only to be stopped as John leaped on to the mans back. Putting his knee on the small of his back John reached over and clasped his hands under the mans chin and pulled as hard as he could. The swordsman cried out in agony as his spine was broken with a sickening snap. Without pause John reached over and grabbed the sword. Flipping the sword so the pointed edge was facing downwards John shoved the sword into the mans back, where his heart likely was, killing him instantly.

As he pulled the sword out he looked down at his grey shirt to find it splattered with blood. Breathing out he looked over at his first kill. "My first kill is with a sword and on some ancient looking asshole." He mumbled out before looking at the corpse in detail. "The armor looks Roman...where the hell did these guys come from?" His eyes narrowed as he thought of a plausible answer but getting none and only confusing himself even more in the process.

With a sigh he shook his head getting rid of the errant thought before standing up. As he walked away from the dead man he began to wonder about his squad mates that were in the invaded city at the moment. If his memory served correctly then everyone except two of his squad members were in Ginza at the moment which meant he needed to get in contact with them.

"You guys better be alive." He said to himself as he reached for his phone. His finger was about to press down to call one of his squad mates when his phone rang out. Not even checking the caller ID John immediately answered the phone.

"Hello?"

A feminine voice called out in an urgent manner. "Lee where the hell are you?!"

"I don't know." He answered back without shame.

"What?! Damn it Lee this isn't the time for getting lost." The caller paused with a sigh before continuing. "Well you're not hurt are you?"

John shook his head, not that she would see it. "No I'm fine, what about you?"

Several moments passed and the only reply he got was garbled Japanese and the screams of the civilians in the background. By now John had slowed to a near crawl with tensed muscles as he made his through a street littered with numerous dead bodies. The people responsible merely a handful of meters away from the corpses.

Suddenly the voice came back to life. "Hey listen Lee, I'm near a guy that's off duty SDF. He says it's best to have the civilians hole up at the Imperial Palace. Seems like he knows what he's doing. Do you think it's a good idea?"

He furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Yeah if I remember right then the palace was designed for large scale sieges back when it was built. We'll meet up there and get armed for the fight. Also try to get as many civvies as you can along the way." He continued his approach to the Roman-like soldiers at a slow pace.

"Got it but how are you going to get there? You don't know where you are right?"

"I'll link up the others, they're close by." With that he hung up and moved in front of the four Romans, getting their attention and in the process missing the two individuals that was behind them.

One of the individuals raised their guns and with a loud bang, dropped one of the Roman lookalikes. Immediately afterwards the second individual raised their gun up and fired away killing two more of the Roman invaders before stopping as the fourth and final enemy was stabbed from behind. Ripping the sword from the dead man's chest John looked at the two shooters with a relieved smile.

"Well least I won't have to go hunting for you two." He called out.

The shooters revealed to be two men that John was familiar with, his squad mates Private First Class Kim Tae Ha and Private First Class Hyung Ben.

Standing at 5 foot 6 inches Kim Tae Ha wore a red t-shirt and shorts. He was the grenadier of the squad and also the most recent addition to John's squad along with Hyung Ben.

John walked up to his grenadier, noting the Sig P226 in both his and Hyung Ben's hand. "Good to see you two are okay."

With a small smile he replied back. "Good to see your well squad leader." Nodding John turned to Hyung Ben who was around the same height as the grenadier and was the only member of the squad to carry a rifle and grenade launcher hybrid, the K-11 DAW.

Clasping his hand John greeted his youngest squad member. "Hyung Ben, you good?" With a shake of his head he responded back. "Yeah, I'm good sir and the both of us are ready for your orders."

"Calm under pressure hm? I guess all that training is paying off now." John thought, somewhat proud of his newest and youngest soldiers.

He twirled the sword in his hand, shaking off some of the excess blood. "I just got off the phone with Kim Han Yoon. Rendezvous is at the Imperial Palace where the civilians are being evacuated to. That being said, do any of you know the way?"

Nodding in confirmation Kim Tae Ha took the lead. "I know the way squad leader follow me." With that the young soldier took off with the others following closely behind.

Taking the short reprieve from combat as a good time to get the tough questions out of the way John spoke up in a low voice. "How do you two feel? About your first kill I mean."

For a short while the privates remained silent as they thought of an answer.

"To be honest sir I didn't feel much, didn't freeze up or anything really bad. Just feel kinda sad that I killed a person. You know they have family and all that." Hyung Ben replied in a somber tone but quickly shook it off. "But don't worry about me sir, I'm combat ready."

"I'm pretty much the same way." Kim Tae Ha added in while nodding along with his comrades answer.

Taking the answers in good grace the small group continued on in silence.

* * *

Kim Han Yoon pocketed her phone as she looked at Youji Itami, a member of the SDF that was off duty. She had overheard his plan of using the Imperial Palace as a safe haven for the civilians, something her squad leader agreed with and an idea that seemed to send the police officer present grinding to a halt.

"A-Are you sure that's the best idea?" Came the unsure question. Without missing a beat Itami replied back. "The palace was originally created to hold out against sieges, it'll work." He seemed to stress the last two words before continuing. "We need to hurry and escort the civilians out of here so use that radio to alert whoever you can."

With a nod the police officer spoke into the radio, telling whoever was listening of the plan.

Seeing the police officer finish Kim Han Yoon walked up to the pair. She cleared her throat gaining the attention of the two men. "I can help with the evacuation by going a bit north and rounding up some people that are stuck there."

Itami merely nodded at the suggestion. "That would be great, thank you..."

"Corporal Kim Han Yoon of the Korean Marines." She said before turning around and heading north.

Itami called after the retreating figure of the Marine. "Hey be careful when you're up there!"

The police officer seemed a bit dumbfounded at that. "Korean Marine? Wha-."

"Korean and Japanese military exercise. All over the news buddy." He said before pointing west, towards the palace. "I'll run ahead and guide everyone there. Can you hang back and help any stragglers along?"

The officer responded with a shaky nod.

Itami responded with a nod of his own before he too took off, looking for any surviving civilians.

As he reached the Imperial Palace entrance he was greeted by the first riot squad, lined up and ready to combat the hostiles. However instead of preparing for the hostiles their attention was currently on the large crowd of civilians pouring into the safety of the palace walls. A moment later his attention turned back down the road to find the Korean Marine running towards the palace all the while herding a score of straggling civilians.

The new group piled into the already chaotic mess of bodies in front of the gate, causing a ripple effect as order began to break down. People shoved, kicked and clawed their way through in a desperate attempt to get inside. Things were getting too hectic and crazy. Thankfully the riot squads were specifically trained in the art of non-lethal crowd control.

Reverting back unto their earliest training days the riot squads worked overtime as they attempted to pacify the chaotic crowd. Precious minutes passed and a semblance of order was achieved as the squads worked to further calm the terrified civilians. The two soldiers made their way inside as the remnants of the chaotic group dispersed into the palace walls.

"They did a good job in controlling the crowd." Itami said in appraisal while eyeing the trickle of civilians that were still coming through the gate,

The female Marine nodded her head in agreement "Yeah and thankfully no one got hurt in the process." Afterwards she pinched the bridge of her nose at the thought of the days events. Things were escalating quickly. They would no doubt start seeing air and ground support roll into Ginza in an attempt to pacify the hostiles. Which was fine by her but it would still take more time before the response force would arrive. It was time they couldn't waste by standing here.

However before the conversation could continue, a member of the riot squad approached them. As he came closer his gaze lingered on the blood covering Itami's shirt.

"It's not my blood." He explained while gripping the hems of his shirt.

The man nodded and asked him. "Are you in the Self Defense Force by any chance?"

"Yeah, I'm Second Lieutenant Youji Itami." He turned to the female next to him. "And this is Kim Han Yoon, she's-" Before anything else was said their attention turned to a loud yell near the entrance. Turning towards the yell they found three people bloody and armed, with two of the strangers holding pistols and another with a short sword.

"Finally he's here." Kim Han Yoon spoke in recognition while running her hand through her shoulder length black hair. Seeing the two others with John she sighed in relief. "And he managed to link up with the others, good."

Itami looked at the new arrivals. "The rest of your squad?" She shook her in confirmation and turned to the officer in riot gear.

"We need guns."

The officer seemed taken aback at the request. "You're going to go back out? That's crazy. You'll be cut off from help. Plus I don't even know who you people are."

"I'm Corporal Kim Han Yoon of the Korean Marines and this," She pointed at John who was now next to her. "Is my squad leader, Staff Sergeant John Lee. The two others are also part of the squad." Seeing the calculating look of the officer she pressed on.

"We can save more people by being out there, actively looking for them."

The man quietly mulled over her words. Finally he looked at the chaotic city and sighed acceptance. "Alright...you got your guns. Just don't go getting yourselves killed out there, you'll be cut off from support." He turned around and motioned for someone to get the extra gear.

A short moment later a few members of the riot squad brought over a handful of MP5s along with vests and numerous magazines to go with it. As soon as the gear was put down the group of four began readying themselves.

Looking on, Itami had only one word to describe the Marines, professional. That's what he and many others around the globe thought, professional and deadly soldiers. Most naysayers were shut down 12 years ago when the Korean War rose to a climax once more and the ROK Marines received worldwide recognition for their incredible battle record. Of course along with that battle record came the words of; brutes, savages and many other colorful descriptions.

It wasn't long after the last magazine was shoved into the vest pockets when they were called over a by man running up to them with an armful of weapons.

"You're going to need more than a few MP5s to face what's going on out there, here take these." And with that he presented the items, an M79 grenade launcher along with a few rounds of tear gas, a PSG1 semi automatic sniper rifle and two Remington 870 shotguns along with ammunition for each.

John looked over at the weapons in appreciation. "Thanks for the extra stuff, I'm sure they'll come in handy soon enough." He reached over and grabbed the sniper rifle. He turned around and tossed the rifle to Kim Han Yoon who was the team's Designated Marksman. Bringing the gun up she briefly checked over the rifle. Walking around her Kim Tae Ha reached for the M79 along with the tear gas rounds. Made sense considering his role as the squad grenadier. The last two Marines took the remaining 870 shotguns and slung the guns over their backs.

"Usually I have the K-11 DAW but I guess I shouldn't complain." Hyung Ben muttered while looking over his submachine gun.

Finally seeing his squad ready John motioned them to follow him. "Alright we're moving out, no time for sitting on our asses." With a round of affirmatives the squad of Korean Marines followed their squad leader out of the safety of the palace walls and into the city.

Looking at the retreating backs of the Marines the officer looked over at Itami. "I have to ask, are those the Marines that were doing the military exercises with the SDF the past week?"

"Yeah, they're part of the 2nd Marine Division."

"2nd Marines huh. Aren't they the White Horse Division?" He questioned.

Itami shook his head. "No, White Horse Division is the Army. 2nd Marine Division are the Blue Dragons, they're pretty famous in Korea. They're right up there with the White Horse Division in terms of notoriety."

"So...pretty good?"

Itami merely grunted at the question. "Better than just good, they are "Marines who catch ghosts" for a reason. The Korean War, Vietnam War and then the Reunification War 12 years ago showed just how good they are."

The officer tore his gaze away from the marines. "Right well let's get back to the civilians."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked as he fell in behind the officer.

Looking back at Itami the officer pointed towards a number of tents that were being raised. "Do you know basic first aid?" Receiving a nod in confirmation he continued. "Good then you can help with the medics over there. People are still flowing in and we already have a bunch of injured waiting for help."

"I'll be right on it" Itami said as he ran over to the tents.

* * *

Outside the palace walls the Korean Marines made their way forward into the chaos undeterred by the fact that they would be going up against a numerically superior force.

They rounded onto the main street that ran through the city and found a large number of the invaders march down the street shoulder to shoulder, shield to shield in a perfect phalanx.

To the invaders the group of four was hardly a threat, after all they were in formation and the small group had no weapons to speak of. Only those strange black sticks.

To the Marines however, they only saw this as an opportunity. An opportunity to fight and to kill. Without hesitation the Marines opened fire with their MP5s onto the formation. The 9mm rounds easily tore through the shields and ripped anyone behind to shreds. Almost immediately the line of soldiers began to fall at the surprise onslaught. Seeing the vulnerability of their enemies the Marines began to make their move.

"Kim Tae Ha, tear gas!" John commanded before motioning Hyung Ben to follow him.

"Got it!" Switching over to the grenade launcher he fired a round into the mass of enemies before reloading and firing off another round. After repeating the process a few more times he managed to completely cover the rapidly falling phalanx in the volatile gas. Switching back over to his primary he fired away at a steady rate at the mess of bodies. Wordlessly he and the female marksman poured on the fire as they attempted to buy the other two time to get into position.

Elsewhere the separated duo weaved in between the buildings as they moved to flank their rapidly dwindling enemy. Under the effects of the tear gas, it was all too easy for them to get around to the flanks of the enemy. After getting into position the duo shouldered their MP5s and blazed away at the Roman lookalikes, effectively creating a killing zone as the Romans were caught in a crossfire.

It was a massacre, plain and simple. Four people absolutely destroying a force that was so much larger.

After having finished ripping apart the enemy formation the squad moved through the bodies, combing for survivors and occasionally popping a shot off at finding a wounded. After combing through the street of strewn out corpses they regrouped at their original firing line. Looking at the mass of dead bodies, Kim Han Yoon asked in a strained voice."How many do you think we killed?"

Hyung Ben followed her gaze and answered her question. "Looks like a company sized force. It was so easy too, with these guys fighting us with glorified sticks and stones." He seemed uncomfortable at the sight. "I hope this ends soon."

"Probably not gonna end for a while, look." John pointed pass several buildings at large congregation of the otherworldly invaders accompanied by various nonhuman additions such as the dragons that flew around the area.

Kim Tae Ha looked where his squad leader pointed at. "That's a big force over there, bigger than what was here. How are we going to stop them?"

"Our objective should be finding any remaining civilians and get them over to the Palace. Fighting them isn't something we can afford to do." Rattled off Kim Han Yoon, convinced that it was the right choice to do.

Kim Tae Ha disagreed however. "There's no use in trying to do that though, the city is too big for the four of us. Our priority should be taking those guys out first." He retorted back. Moments passed as the squad stood still, divided on their objectives.

After a short moment of deliberation John came to his decision. "Killing these guys will be more beneficial in the long run, civilians are secondary now. If we find one along the way then we'll work our way from there." With the attention of the squad he continued in a stern and commanding voice. "That building over there is our LOA, don't go past it for now. Marksman, find a use for that rifle. Everyone know what's going on?"

The squad responded back promptly and without complaint, understanding the weight of his orders."Yes Staff Sergeant!"

"Good, we're oscar mike." With that the squad moved forward into the chosen building.

Reaching the building they rapidly bounded up the stairs, skipping several steps at a time and eventually ending up at the 5th floor. The squad rushed into a room full of cubicles and took up positions around a window that overlooked the street filled with the invaders. However Kim Han Yoon, the marksman of the squad moved to the adjacent room trying to find a better angle for her sniper rifle.

As soon as they looked through the window they found the phalanx of enemies directly in front. "Battalion sized force out there." John muttered, mind racing on how to handle the exceptionally large group. Plus...

"Fucking Orcs on top it along with dragons overhead." Kim Tae Ha cursed.

From her room their marksman called out the distance. "Range 350 meters!"

"Beyond the MP5s effective range." The squad leader spoke in a low voice. Suddenly he stood up getting the attention of the 2 soldiers next to him.

"Alright change of plans!" He yelled out making sure his voice could be heard in the adjacent room. "Kim Tae Ha stay here and cover our marksman." He turned to Hyung Ben. "You're with me, we're going back down for some hit and run. You guys cover us from this building."

Hyung Ben nodded at the order. "Understood."

"Alright and you?" John asked turning to his grenadier.

The grenadier nodded at the order. Satisfied with the nod John led Hyung Ben out of the room. Seeing the two leave Kim Tae Ha quickly moved over to the room where the marksman was set up.

"You ready?" He asked as he crouched down next to her.

Looking through her scope she answered. "More than ready." Suddenly she pulled away from her scope, eyes narrowing at her firing lane. Turning to her squad mate she made her suggestion. "Actually let's move up a couple floors, I need a better firing angle." With a nod the sniper and her partner moved to set themselves up for the upcoming fight.

As the two moved up the other duo had already made their way downstairs. Following close behind the private asked his question. "What's the plan?"

"Hit and run, force them to panic." John answered as he jumped down the last few steps of the stairs.

"And once they panic?"

"Then mow them down."

As they exited the building they began to hear the familiar sounds of helicopters approaching the area. It wouldn't be long before the helicopters began their attack runs on the unsuspecting invasion force scattered throughout the city.

"Shame we didn't ask for radios, we could have coordinated our assault with them." Hyung Ben added while looking up towards the sky.

"Too late now, the helicopters will do their thing and we'll do ours." John only hoped the Japanese pilots didn't get trigger happy and mistake them for the enemy. 20mm cannons rounds tended to turn human flesh into red paste, something he and his squad mate would like to avoid.

The duo swung around jogging several hundred meters and into a building that would put them behind and above the marching battalion.

In the time it took for them to position themselves the soldiers down below had already marched halfway to the building the other two were in, much too dangerous for the marksman to be the first to open fire and expose herself.

They would have to be the ones to fire first and take the brunt of the attack. Knowing this John shouldered his MP5. He aimed down the iron sights and let it hover over one of the distant figures. He didn't need to be pin point accurate with the Romans being so closely packed in together. It was literally a point and shoot situation.

He took deep breath before pulling the trigger, his muscles tensed as they worked to compensate for the recoil. Next to him Hyung Ben followed his actions as they began firing at the formation of enemies in short bursts. It wasn't long before they had the full attention of the Romans as the entire formation, in one fluid motion turned around to face their new foe. Their training had dictated that their shields were their ultimate defense and as such should always be pointed at the enemy. However their training was for naught as the 9mm rounds penetrated through the shields and dug into the flesh of humans.

Quickly it nearly became another repeat of their earlier attack as the battalion began to crumble away under the onslaught of lead and now tear gas as the grenadier launched the volatile gas into the formation. What prevented it from becoming a total repeat was that now, their enemy was a battalion sized force numbering nearly 700 men. The strategy that worked on the smaller group of Romans wouldn't work for long as the sheer number of Romans would begin to brute force their way through.

A direct and continuous engagement would only end up with their deaths, so they didn't do that. Instead they would turn the battle into several smaller and more manageable engagements where John and Hyung Ben would constantly change positions in order to confuse their enemy and whittle them down until nothing was left. However there was only one limitation, their ammo. It wouldn't matter if they were firing in short bursts, eventually they would run out of ammo for the MP5s. Which meant getting up close and personal with their shotguns, hopefully by that time the number of Romans would be low enough to where it wouldn't become a suicide charge. Then again if that happened then the best idea would be to fall back to the building their marksman was in and hole up there.

* * *

"Alright, go!" The duo ran out of cover and sprinted across the street and into one of the apartment buildings that littered Tokyo. As they bounded up the stairs they caught a glimpse of a small group of Romans who had broken off from the main force in order to track them down.

"Shit." John cursed as he counted eleven individuals running towards them.

Wordlessly both men moved quickly as they rested their submachine guns on the railings. From nearly four stories up they had a perfect sight line on the group and like the countless times before aimed and fired down on their charging enemy. Only this time, things became a tad bit more complicated.

John had barely fired a burst before the submachine gun in his hands clicked empty. Releasing the magazine he frantically patted himself down, searching for one more full magazine but only coming up empty. He yelled over to his squad mate. "Fuck, out of ammo! What about you?!"

As soon as he had said that the gun in Hyung Ben's hand clicked empty. "I'm out on ammo too." He replied.

Now with their MP5s out of commission, there was only one option left for the two. "Hyung Ben, how are you on CQC?" John asked while brandishing his shotgun.

Hyung Ben responded back in a grimace as he mimicked his squad leader. "Good enough for this." Afterwards the duo crouched at the top of the stairs as their shotguns were loaded and ready to blow apart whatever that came up. Tense moments passed as the two heard the clatter of metal accompanied by the thumping of footsteps coming up the steps.

The sounds became louder and louder before the first armored man turned the corner of the stairwell in a fast jog. The man didn't even have a time to warn the others as a blast from Hyung Ben's shotgun plowed into his chest and in the process blowing it open in a bloody mess. The deafening blast and the sight of their comrade being eviscerated shocked the next man into a standstill. A fact that John took advantage of as he fired off his shotgun, easily killing the Roman. Several more times their shotguns rang off as the rest of the group attempted to rush the two but only failing in the process.

As John pumped his shotgun once more he and Hyung Ben waited for another Roman to come up the stairs. For several moments they waited for another Roman to cross their sights however the only thing they found was the blood covered stairwell along with the mangled bodies. Finally deciding that they were in the clear John let out a relieved sigh before picking his ears with his finger.

"Damn it's still ringing." He grumbled, referring to the amplified blast of the shotgun in the tight quarters of the apartment complex.

Beside him Hyung Ben moaned in agreement.

After short moment of rest John stood up and turned to where the rest of the battalion was last seen. Suddenly one of the Cobras flew low in a strafing run at the area where he was looking at. There was no doubt about it now, the remnants were still in the general area where they were last seen.

Turning back to his squad mate John tapped him on the shoulders, getting his attention.

"Let's go down, we're not done yet." John said as he waited for the private to stand up.

With a short nod Hyung Ben stood up and followed his squad leader downstairs, careful in their steps in order to not slip on the spilled blood.

As they jogged out the building John spoke up. "Hyung Ben stay close and watch my back." The pumping of the privates shotgun was the only response he got. They slowed down as they reached the area where the remnants were last seen. The duo moved silently though the streets and alleyways as they attempted to find and hopefully ambush whatever was left of the battalion sized force.

John rounded a corner before suddenly pulling back and nearly causing Hyung Ben to bump into him.

"Sir?"

John held up a hand to silence any further questions and peeked around the corner. In front of him was the last remnants of the battalion. Currently they were spread about in a haphazard manner as they tried to regroup. The constant coughing and rubbing of the eyes along with the sheer look of misery was enough evidence to John that they were still recovering from the tear gas.

Silently he counted only a dozen of them left and there was no signs of the orcs or dragons. Most likely red paste on the ground from the strafing runs of the Cobras.

In their current shape and condition, they would be easy pickings for the two Marines.

John turned to face his youngest soldier. "There's a dozen left. No non-humans and no dragons and they're still recovering from the tear gas. You ready?"

He leaned back, letting the private take a brief look. After a moment the young soldier looked back up to his squad leader.

"Lead the way."

Nodding John took a deep breath before he began counting down with his finger.

Three.

Two.

One.

At the signal both men shot out of cover and ran straight into the struggling group. Their initial shotgun blasts were accompanied by an equally loud roar from the two soldiers.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack the first two Romans fell without even knowing what had killed them. The next two were barely able to stand up before they too were cut down by the shotguns. It wasn't until their third pump of their shotguns when the Romans began showing a semblance of fighting back.

As fast as their tired bodies would allow they charged a the attacking in a feeble attempt to defend themselves. However it was all for naught as hey were cut down by the two soldiers.

Side stepping a spear Hyung Ben kicked the man responsible down before obliterating his upper torso. Not even batting an eye at the gruesome display he quickly changed targets, a straggler who was clawing at his eyes as he continuously felt the unbearable burning sensation of the gas. Without pause he leveled the sights at the mans chest and fired. The shotgun bucked in his hands once more, causing him to tense his muscles in an order to tame the recoil.

Suddenly from his right he heard a shout. Turning towards the sound he found a pale Roman with a bloodstained bandage on his chest charging at him with a small dagger. A last ditch effort to avenge his fallen.

With practiced ease he leveled the sights on the blood red bandages. Center mass, just like they were taught. However unlike before all he heard was the ominous click of an empty gun. Cursing he tightened his grip on his shotgun and charged at the wounded man only to see the full weight of his squad leader plow into man.

With a loud thud the mans back slammed into the concrete, aggravating his injury and causing him to cry out in pain.

Not caring for the blood that was getting smeared on him John grabbed the mans head viciously slammed it into the ground. Roaring in agony the Roman brought his dagger in attempt to stab the man on top of him. Deftly grabbing the offending wrist John twisted it a brutal manner before tearing the small knife out of his hands. Holding the dagger in a backhanded grip he stabbed the man in the throat, severing the vital connection between the brain and body.

Not giving himself a moment of rest he immediately rolled off the dead Roman and scanned his surroundings in a crouch with his gun raised.

"Clear!"

"Clear!" They called out to each other, seeing no more hostiles in their immediate area. Afterwards they moved over to one of the shaded spaces as they checked themselves over. Looking at each other they found themselves covered in blood. Hyung Ben looked worse than John despite having less blood on him due to the blood contrasting sharply with his white shirt.

With his heart rate coming back under control Hyung Ben took a moment to gaze at his squad leaders handy work. Simply put he was impressed at the ease at which John had disposed of the Romans. Mentally he counted four kills with his shotgun during the brief exchange, the rest belonged to John. He had killed twice the number of Romans and did it faster.

As they began reloading their shotguns they found another issue on top of everything else.

"Shit...I've only got 4 shells left." John cradled his last remaining shells.

"I have 3 shells left." Hyung Ben grimly replied as he shoved the last of his shells into the 870.

Sighing in annoyance of yet another problem on a growing list of problems John ran a hand across his face, causing the still fresh blood to be smeared across his face.

Seeing his bloody hands he threw them up and spoke his grievances. "Fuck the donkey. Fuck the ammo. Fuck the Romans. Fuck the Japanese. Fuck the blood. And fuck the Japanese. The hell man, can't I get a damn break?"

Hyung Ben gave his squad leader a questioning look. "Fuck the donkey?"

"Don't question it."

This time Hyung Ben let out a sigh. "Got it in one sir."

"Good." John let out another sigh as he loaded the last of the shells in. They were given barely enough for two engagements and now the only thing between life and death was the measly 7 shells between the two of them. That was it, their submachine guns were completely dry on ammo. Things had quickly changed from a search and destroy mission to a resupply mission. It was annoying to say the least.

John grunted as he stood up. "Right, now that things have calmed down a bit lets head back to the building the others were in. Afterwards we'll make our way back to the palace to resupply."

"I hope they're still in that building, it'd be a pain to try and find them in all of this." Hyung Ben commented while standing up after his squad leader.

Seeing the young private stand up John began to walk in the direction of the building.

Unlike before the duo decided to go straight towards the last known location of the sniper and grenadier. No need to take the long way when everyone around them was dead with their body parts blown off. The few that no doubt did survive had run away to who knows where during the confusion. No matter though, they would be caught soon enough or outright killed, either way they won't be problem for much longer.

It wasn't long before they entered the building. Silently they made their way to the stairs but proceeded to stop. The reason being a large puddle of water with several electrical wires tossed in at the bottom of the stairs. If that wasn't enough of a warning then large pile of bodies on the water most certainly was.

"Well, at least we know they're resourceful." Mumbled John as he took a cautious step to the side, making extra care to not step in the water.

"Perhaps a bit too much?" Hying Ben asked.

"Not really, these guys probably don't have the understanding that water and electricity don't mix." If they at a similar level of technology as the the actual Romans then they wouldn't know the dangers. Then again you would think that seeing their friends step into the water only to die in agony would be a good indicator of danger.

"Well we can use something they don't know about. An elevator." Hyung Ben pointed out the elevator at the end of the hallway.

John nodded at the suggestion. "Alright, let's go then." With that he moved to the elevator, falling in behind Hyung Ben who got there first.

Seeing his squad leader inside the elevator Hyung Ben pressed the button that take them to the fifth floor. A short moment passed before the door opened with a soft chime, signifying their arrival. The duo moved out of the elevator with their guns raised as they made their way to the room their squad members were last seen in.

Stacking up at the entrance of the room Hyung Ben took a peek at the room. To his frustration he found it empty.

"They're not here." He grunted while scanning the empty room. "Where are th-" Before he could finish as shout cut him off.

"Is that you Hyung Ben?!"

"Kim Tae Ha? Yeah where are you?!" He yelled back scanning upwards to the sounds of their squad mates voice.

Then a feminine voice was heard. "7th floor, 3rd room on the right!" That was their marksman.

Following the call out the duo moved to the stairs where they found dead bodies strewn about. Like before at the apartment they moved in caution as pool of blood around the bodies made it slippery to walk.

Suddenly Kim Han Yoon's feminine voice rang out. "Hey is Lee with you?!"

Still in the process of walking up the stairs, the mentioned man yelled back. "I'm here!"

Finally reaching the 7th floor the bloodied duo broke out into jog in efforts to hurry up and get resupplied. As they jogged into the designated room, they found Kim Han Yoon peering down her scope with her squad mate next to her. The grenadier turned to the arrived party.

"I assume we're heading back to get resupplied."

John nodded and motioned for them to get up. "What's your ammo situation?"

"I've got 3 mags left for the MP5. Out of ammo on the M79 though."

The female finally took her eyes off the scope and spoke up. "5 mags left for the MP5. For the rifle, I've got the last 2 rounds loaded in right now."

With a roll of his shoulders John began issuing orders. "So you have 8 mags between the two of you, that's 2 for each of us. Not much but it'll do."

He moved besides the marksman and looked down at the streets, the once clean roads were stained in blood. Finally tearing his gaze away from the bloodstained streets he turned to face the rest of his squad.

"I saw a water fountain in the hallway, drink some water and ready up."

Hyung Ben and Kim Tae Ha nodded at the orders and ambled on out of the room, leaving the John and Kim Han Yoon by themselves.

With a soft groan the female sniper stood up to her full height, topping out just under 5 foot 5 inches. Laying her rifle against the wall she began to stretch the stiffness out of her limbs. Afterwards she scooped her rifle back up and cradled it against her chest.

Her squad leader took notice.

"Getting attached to that gun?" He asked with smirk, knowing her tendencies for guns, snipers specifically.

"It's a good gun; the Germans make some quality stuff." She admitted before sighing. "Shame I'm not gonna use this more."

Emerging from the hallway the grenadier decided to jump in. "Of course it's a good gun, it's German. Most of the things they make is top notch."

"Right." John grunted out, cutting off the conversation early. They could talk when this was all over with. "Is everyone good?" The squad nodded in confirmation. They were ready for more, made sense, they were Marines after all.

"Good let's go, we're oscar mike." With that they moved out, their new objective; to head back to the palace and get resupplied.

* * *

The route back to the palace was surprisingly quiet so far, most likely due to the Cobras overhead gunning everything down with their 20mm cannons.

The squad moved in silence, everyone keeping their heads on a swivel to watch out for any signs of the Romans. For a short while things were quiet but the quietness didn't last long.

Suddenly they heard a sickening thump of flesh before a whirring of a helicopter blade above their heads. The squad looked up and to their horror they found a falling Cobra, side painted in bright red, the rotor sputtering and the engine failing to power the aircraft. They watched in silence as the Cobra slammed into a nearby hotel, lodging itself on the upper floors with the rear end still hanging precariously off the side. Hyung Ben was the first to say anything.

"What the hell happened?!"

"More things going wrong, that's what happened." John spoke in a sarcastic tone. "Whatever let's go, we're getting those pilots!" He roared before kicking into high gear and charging towards the building. He didn't even look back, knowing that his squad would follow without hesitation. Any thoughts of getting resupplied was left unsaid. They had a new objective; save he downed pilots or in the worst case scenario, recover their bodies.

Busting through the glass doors John and his squad ran straight towards the stairs. They didn't even look at the elevator as they charged through the lobby. John threw open the doors that blocked the stairwell, allowing passage from everyone else. Together the squad ran up, skipping several steps at a time.

"We're going to the 10th floor!" John yelled while passing a sign that told everyone that they just passed the 4th floor.

Huffing and puffing Kim Han Yoon asked back. "Why 10th?!" The response she got was something that she should have expected in all honesty, given that she knew him since they met 4 years ago in basic.

"I eyeballed it."

"Oh god." She groaned out, nearly missing a step in the process.

The rest of the trip up was done in silence, with their breathing mixing in with the sounds of their stomping feet. Upon reaching the 10th floor John motioned everyone to fan out in an effort to find the helicopter as fast as they could. Precious minutes passed without results before a feminine voice was heard throughout the floor.

"Cobra 2 floors below us!"

No more words were spoken as they all ran back to the stairs. As John made it to the 8th floor he saw Kim Tae Ha and Kim Han Yoon were already making their way to the chopper. Hyung Ben was right behind him.

"Found it! Sir, room 310!" With haste John ran through the halls trying to find the room, his patience running thin. "Where is it?" He thought desperately to himself. A few moments later he ran into the room and saw the pilots, one male and one female, laid out on the floor. The marksman looked up at her squad leader, reporting the conditions of the two pilots.

"Lee both are unconscious, probable concussions and the girl has a broken leg."

"Well at least they won't start complaining." He muttered before he turned to Kim Tae Ha. "Pick him up and let's hurry, before we start having the ancient motherfuckers running in." He said while making his way to the female pilot. With a simple nod the two bent down and slung the two pilots over in a fireman's carry before running towards the stairs, again.

As they reached the stairs they found Hyung Ben with a grim look on his face holding the door open for the squad. They were bounding down the stairs when he gave the bad news. "We've got hostiles inside the hotel."

"Doesn't matter, it only means we gotta plow through them." Kim Han Yoon grunted out before she and Hyung Ben positioned themselves in front of the two carrying the pilots. Almost immediately the foreign language of the Romans reached their ears along with the clanking of steel.

The two forces met halfway and nearly collided with each other. Hyung Ben who was leading as the point man fired his shotgun once more blowing the man in front of him against the wall with a bloody splat. Like a ripple effect, the marksman opened fire with her MP5 mowing down several more that rushed up the stairs.

Soon the dead bodies began to pile up but despite the extra mass that threatened to block the Marines, they ruthlessly plowed forward kicking and shoving anything in their paths, not showing signs of slowing down however their ammo, or rather lack of ammo was starting to catch up to them.

"Take my shit! I don't need them!" John hollered at his point man. Quickly taking John's last mags and shells Hyung Ben reloaded his shotgun and pushed ahead replacing Kim Han Yoon who ran back up to Kim Tae Ha. Taking his last two mags she jammed one of her last remaining magazines into her submachine gun as she ran back down to Hyung Ben who was in the process of kicking a man through the door.

In the reception area the Romans watched in shock as the stairwell door was broken down by a body flying through the door. On the floor the downed man looked at his chest in a dazed manner, his armor was dented by kick that sent him clear through the door. With a groan the he was helped up but before he even had a footing, was dropped along with his allies. The Marines rushed past the corpses and bullied their way through the group of Romans that stood in front of them before running out the doors with a number of the survivors chasing them.

They ran several blocks, weaving in and out between buildings and alleyways in order to evade their pursuers before coming to a back alleyway. In the alleyway they quietly stood still, waiting for any signs of their chasers. After several tense moments with no signs of their pursuers the Marines collectively let out a sigh.

"Alright guys, lets take a breather before we think about making our way to the palace." John panted out while setting down the female pilot against the wall. Kim Tae Ha followed his actions as he set down the male pilot next to her.

"Hopefully with no more complications." The grenadier mumbled back with his hands on his knees.

John replied back in a flippant manner despite his breathlessness. "Wouldn't count on it, besides it's boring when things go right."

Kim Tae Ha looked at his superior with raised eyebrows. "Squad leader, I don't know if I said this or not but...you're not normal."

The man simply scoffed. "I'm a Marine, I don't do normal. Besides what's "normal" anyway?"

"People who don't want unnecessary trouble for one." He pointed out.

"Well I am who I am, not gonna change that. Besides, normal people don't get laid. Kinda like you Mr. Virgin."

The soldier became quiet, not having a retort for John's comment.

A low groan sounded out, drawing the attention of the Marines.

"Finally one's waking up." John grunted out. And it was about time, carrying them all the way to the palace would've been a massive pain to begin with.

Slowly the male pilot's consciousness returned. Clearing his head of the cobwebs he rubbed his head and face before looking at the 4 people holding guns in front of him.

Jolting in surprise he stammered out. "Who...Who are you?! And where's-" Before he could finish John cut him off.

"Relax, we're friendly and your buddy is right next to you."

Looking over he saw his friend leaning against the wall, still unconscious. With a relieved sigh he stood up. He stumbled a bit before he steadied himself with a hand on the wall. Finally deeming himself steady enough he turned to his rescuers.

"Thanks for getting us out." He said in gratitude. "I'm Muromi Sakaki and this," He pointed to the female pilot. "Is Nami Hane."

John cut him off before he could say more. "We can talk while we move. Can you walk?" It was blatantly clear he didn't want to be left exposed in their position with the amount of ammo they had for any longer than it needed it to be. Even if it meant he had to carry the female pilot, better tired and alive then content and dead.

"Yeah, no problem." A thoughtful look crossed the pilots face. "By the way, where we are going to?" He asked to no one in particular.

Hyung Ben answered. "The Imperial Palace. I don't think it's far from where we are right now." Looking to the side, he saw the female pilot being slung over unto John's shoulder in a fireman's carry once more.

With the female pilot secured they began their trek towards the Palace. It wasn't long before the female pilot began to regain consciousness.

"Hey don't move around so much, your legs broken." Kim Tae Ha said to her when she began to move around too much.

"You should relax, we're almost to safety." John grunted out. "And don't start thrashing around, I'll drop you if you do." He finished.

"Lee stop, you're scaring the girl." Kim Han Yoon chided.

"Am I really?" He hummed not caring one way or another before asking the male pilot a question that was on everyone's mind. "Hey Sakaki, what happened up there?"

The mentioned pilot simply sighed. "Long story short, a dragon and its rider rammed us in the side. Our Cobra had a history of engine and rotor problems so the sudden impact along with the chunks of flesh pretty much stopped the rotor and engine." The Marines frowned at his confession of flying in an unreliable machine.

"Engine and rotor issues? Why isn't something like that taken care of? Fix or replace if needed." Kim Han Yoon asked. Before Sakaki could answer the female pilot spoke up for the first time.

"The SDF has been experiencing budget cuts lately. Maintenance crews did their best to fix it but the Cobra needed a brand new engine." That was a severe problem in the eyes of the Koreans; if any military equipment showed reliability issues then it should be quickly taken care of, that was something that should never be compromised under any circumstance. Especially if a person's life relied on that equipment.

Afterwards an uncomfortable silence hung over the group. "So...ugh what are your names? I never got them." Sakaki asked in an awkward and embarrassed manner. Taking his embarrassment in stride they sounded off one by one.

"I'm Hyung Ben, Private First Class of the ROK Marines."

"Private 1st Class Kim Tae Ha, I'm the squads grenadier."

"Corporal Kim Han Yoon and I'm the designated marksman."

"John Lee, Staff Sergeant and the glorious squad leader of 1st squad of 3rd platoon in the 1st Marine Regiment that's a part of the kickass Blue Dragons."

"Blue Dragon?" Nami questioned out loud.

"Another name for the 2nd Marine Division." The corporal answered. "Oh well look at that, we're at the Palace." She commented.

Indeed they were, in front of them the palace was now only a few hundred meters away. However even from a distance they could see the dead Romans in front. The blood was still freely flowing from the corpses.

As the group approached the palace entrance they were met with a very tense group of officers in riots gear. Oh and at gun point too.

Hyung Ben was at the front of the group and was also the first to respond. "Woah there, we're friendly guys."

"We've got two of your pilots, both are injured. It's best that they get medical attention quickly. Especially Nami-san on my back, she's got a broken leg on top of a probable concussion." John added in before continuing. "We're also the group that ran out with your gear, if it helps any."

His mentioning of the injured pilots and self identification seemed to calm the officers.

One of the officers spoke up. "Welcome back and good to see the pilots were okay. We saw the crash, looked terrible from this angle."

"It's a helicopter crash, doubt it would've looked pleasant from any angle." John mumbled before he recognized the officer. "Hey you're the guy who gave the gear, thanks for that by the way."

The officer waved him off. "Yeah it was no problem, now hurry inside. Those pilots need some help." He finished, motioning them inside.

The riot squad moved aside, giving the returning soldiers room to pass. Once inside they were directed to a makeshift group of tents where people were going to receive first aid.

In front of the tents they were greeted by several medics who immediately grabbed the two pilots and made their way inside.

The pilots turned to thank their saviors as they were being taken into a tent.

"Thanks for everything, we wouldn't have made it without you guys." As the tent flaps closed, Nami's voice could be heard. "Sakaki-kun don't you think John's name is weird for a Korean?" There was a shuffle of clothing. "Do you think changed his name?"

"I'm sure he has a reason." Was the reply.

Outside, squad snickered at their squad leader, finding the situation all too amusing.

"I told you Lee, people get confused about your name."

"Well sorry for preferring my American name over my Korean one." He griped before finding a pile of ammo boxes. "Know what? Let's get resupplied, that was the whole point of us coming here anyway." Walking over to the ammo crates they found another familiar face although only one member knew his name.

"Hey Itami, is that you?"

"Kim Han Yoon?" Itami turned to the approaching group and noticed the state they were in. "Wow you guys look terrible, especially you two." He said gesturing to two Marines with shotguns.

"Well we were the ones fighting in CQC, makes sense we look the worse." John sighed as he ran a hand over his blood covered head. The dried blood would be difficult to wash out, which was quite unfortunate.

"Well do you want some water to wash it off? Itami asked.

Immediately Hyung Ben spoke up in a relieved tone. "That would be great, thanks."

"Right, I'll be right back." With that he walked away. When Itami came back however he found the Marines resupplied and ready to go back out.

"They're going back out?" He thought to himself in surprise.

Giving the bottles of water to the individuals he looked at their gear. "Are you guys heading back out?" He asked although he already knew the answer.

"Yep, we're gonna clean our faces a bit and head back out." John said while pouring the water over his head.

Itami frowned, they did more than enough for today. "You don't have to, the JSDF is in full force right now and most of the invaders are dead. All that's left are the stragglers hiding in buildings."

"Then that means we're breaching and clearing now. Not my favorite thing to do but I'll manage." Hyung Ben said as he rubbed his head with water.

Several quiet moments passed as they waited for John and Hyung Ben to finish cleaning their faces. With a satisfied sigh the two rubbed the excess water off of their faces as most of the blood was washed off. The more stubborn spots would take more water and scrubbing but it was enough.

Wiping off the water on his hands on his pants John offered Itami a smile. "Thanks for the water."

Itami nodded at the thanks.

They were about of leave when Itami stopped them.

"Hey wait a minute."

The squad turned around to face the Japanese lieutenant.

Suddenly feeling the gaze of the four Marines Itami rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner.

"I ugh don't know your names well at least most of you. It doesn't seem right not knowing at least who you guys are."

John looked at the man before shrugging. Nothing to lose by telling him their names. "I'm John Lee, Staff Sergeant and squad leader." He turned to face the rest of his squad. "And these are my guys, Private First Class Hyung Ben and Kim Tae Ha. I'm sure you don't need an introduction for our marksman."

Hearing the Staff Sergeants name Itami cocked his head in confusion. "John? That's a weird name for a Korean. Did you change it?" It was an innocent question yet all too amusing for everyone, except John.

"It's my American name. I have a Korean name too but I prefer this name over that." He sighed out. It was annoying and tiresome no matter how long he had been doing this.

"So what's your Korean name?" The response he got wasn't a response at all, much to his chargin.

"Well guys let's go, we're wasting time here." With that he marched away with his squad following closely behind, leaving Itami without an answer.

"Oi! At least give an answer!" He yelled to their backs. Not getting one he simply sighed before talking out loud to no one in particular. "Well I should probably go back to the medics. See what I can do to help." With that he ambled on over to the first aid tents.

As the squad made their way to the entrance, they found themselves impressed at the setup of medical tents and steady flow of communication between the riot squads and the SDF. People were being helped by doctors and any uncertainties were being put to rest by the riot squad. So despite the terror the civilians faced earlier they found themselves in high spirits, confident in the abilities of their police and SDF.

Much like before the four Marines sauntered out of the main gates without a care in the world. It was second nature for them despite it being their first taste of combat. Their training was paying off dividends.

Staring at the buildings in front of them, Kim Tae Ha addressed his squad leader in a worried tone. "Hey squad leader?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

He gestured to the city around them. "Where are we going to start? It's a big city and by now most of the Romans are holed up in the buildings."

John hummed in thought. "Well it's pretty simple when you think about it."

The private looked confused. "I don't think so, we have to find-" However before he could continue, John sharply cut him off.

"Exactly we have to find the bastards. Meaning one thing, building to building and room to room."

A moment passed before a sigh was heard from the man. "This is gonna suck." Everyone craned their heads upwards, following the rising profile of the buildings all around them.

"The SEALs have a saying for this you know." Kim Han Yoon said in a resigned voice.

John looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"The only easy day was yesterday." They all smiled a that. In the end it was all they could do. Do your job to the best of your ability and keep moving forward.

John cracked his neck as he addressed his team. "Well no time for just standing here, let's pick a building and hit it hard." Seeing the confident looks on their faces he began walking to a random building in front of them, the first of many for the Koreans that day in what would be known as the Battle of Ginza.

* * *

This section is for the military jargon/vocabulary that is used in the chapter. This way you, the reader won't have fill in the blanks or go look it up. Plus some of these are pretty hilarious in their own right, gotta love military humor, the best kind of humor. Anyway onto the list:

Oscar Mike: Arguably one of the more famous one's out there. Thank you Hollywood and Call of Duty. Anyway it means "On the Move." It's a combination of the military phonetic alphabet O (Oscar) and M (Mike). It can also mean "On Mission" depending on how it's used.

LOA: This is an acronym for "Limit of Advance" which as it sounds means the point where you don't advance due to suspected enemy presence or unknown dangers. Generally this ins't a widely used term, at least from I can gather so chances are it may not be used a lot or if at all in future chapters.


	2. A New World

Disclaimer: I don't own anything so please don't sue me. Everything belongs to the creator of Gate and the only thing I own are my OCs, that is it. It shouldn't have to be said but I'm not making any profit off of this.

One thing I would like to mention is that a good portion of this chapter is about politics. Yes politics that thing in the corner we would like to ignore but can't. Now I am not into politics, never have and probably never will and quite frankly writing about politics is outside my comfort zone but I feel like for Gate, it needs to be done.

* * *

A total of five days passed from what was now known as the Ginza Incident or to some, the Battle of Ginza and clean up was still an ongoing process with the JSDF and the recently deployed US Marines continuously combing through the city. So far nearly five thousand of the invaders had been captured and it didn't seem like it was going to end soon. They had to search every nook and cranny of the city in order to make sure every single one was either captured or killed.

And of course it didn't need to be said that the Japanese were quite enthusiastic in their interrogation of the captured soldiers.

However unfortunately for the Japanese the first couple days of the interrogation yielded only in more frustration as they struggled to overcome the language barrier. It wasn't until a passing officer had recognized that the language spoken by the Romans was superficially familiar to Latin that process could be made. With the knowledge of the similarities between the two languages a proper translation was done and with it they got the answers that they had been desperately seeking for.

The invaders were the Imperial Army of the Empire under the rule of King Molt Sol Augustus. The year was 687 in their world. Their world. It was hard to believe for many but the proof was right in front of them, another world teeming with new life, new adventure, new culture and to some, new opportunity. With the leak of information to the general public all eyes turned towards the Japanese government. Some even awaited the response of the Korean government as small bits of footage showing the Korean Marines in action were leaked to the Internet.

As for the Marines that were in action that day, they were immediately pulled back to mainland Korea. It was obvious that the Korean government wanted details on the battle and that they too wanted a piece of what laid beyond the gate. The rest of the 1st Marine Regiment that had been a part of the joint military exercise were unsurprisingly rejected in their proposal to help with the clean up, most likely due to the recently deployed US troops. Though one could never rule out the friction between the two countries. Nonetheless the regiment stayed in Japan, at Korea's insistence.

All in all things were tense around the globe as both national governments and the average citizen waited the response of the Japanese, Korean and the US governments. They all had a stake in this. Even the US who was bound by a treaty to come to the aid of Japan and Korea. The question was, would the two Asian countries work together and exclude the US or would a joint effort be taken by the three countries? There was also the fact that the land that laid beyond the gate was something of interest for all nations around the globe.

* * *

In a conference room the leaders of Korea and Japan looked at each other across an oval desk that spanned across most of the room. Things were still tense between both nations despite their relationship improving since the fall of North Korea during the Reunification War in 2031, after all you couldn't get rid of a grudge that lasted for more than several centuries in a mere 12 years. Most people would describe their relationship to be an amicable one, friendly on the outside but most definitely not on the inside.

Reaching across the table President Lee Gan Hu made the first move as he offered his hand. Looking at the hand Prime Minister Motoi Shinzou accepted the handshake without hesitation. With a surprisingly firm grip the Korean president began the meeting with a small smile. "It's good to see you Prime Minister Shinzou."

Grinning back in a similar fashion the prime minister responded back.

"Likewise President Lee Gan Hu, though I wish it was under better circumstances."

Despite talking in their native tongues they understood what they had said to each other, the translation device that was attached to their ears made sure of that.

The man chuckled at the last bit. "Well we can't really pick and choose our battles now can we?" He finished with a genuine smile before continuing. "Now then, let's make this short an-" The president cut himself off as he found his advisors simply standing there in awkward silence. "What you doing? Stop standing there like a mannequin and show some respect to the Japanese, they're our hosts here."

Almost immediately they sprang to life, thrusting their hands out in a stiff greeting. The Japanese advisors responded in kind though the handshakes lacked the friendliness of the handshake between the two leaders.

Giving his advisors a glance that told them of a talk later on the president finished his sentence. "As I was saying, let's make this as short and simple as possible." No need to drag things out when both parties knew each other's motives.

Nodding in acceptance Prime Minister Shinzou started off the conference as he sat down. "I assume the Koreans want to work with us in regards to crossing the gate?" Without the US was the implication. Made sense, allies they may be but this was an opportunity they couldn't pass up. Even if it meant upsetting the US. There was also the fact that Korean Marines were involved in Ginza and that having Korean military aid would relieve the Japanese of doing all the grunt by themselves.

The president nodded as he leaned forward. "Yes we do but we've come to the conclusion that going into the gate by our lonesome would be…problematic to say the least in the eyes of the international community." Indeed a certain global organization would go ballistic at the idea of a Japan and Korea only operation to cross the gate.

It seemed like the Prime Minister and his aides knew such an organization, of course they did, Japan was one of the biggest contributors. "Yes the United Nations." The almost invisible tightening of Shinzou's lips showed that he did indeed see the problem.

The prime ministers eyes narrowed. "So then President Lee Gan Hu, what do you propose?"

Nodding at his turn the president gave his proposal. "I propose that we call an emergency meeting in regards to the Battle of Ginza and get acknowledged in our decision to send military forces over to the other side." Hopefully doing that would lessen external pressures to the point where there wouldn't be foreign special op teams running around in Japan and Korea's backyard.

However despite this, the Japanese didn't seem too keen on the idea of the UN getting involved. This went double for one of the advisors who stood up abruptly and in a heated tone asked his question to the president.

"And what makes the president think that the UN would allow Japan or even Korea to cross the gate by ourselves?"

Not fazed by the sudden question or the tone used he replied back in a calm tone. "They won't allow us to go in alone." He admitted. "In the end our best bet would be allowing military advisers to go along with the force going into the gate. That is if we're quick enough to capitalize on this opportunity, if we aren't then you'll be seeing a UN Coalition going through instead of us." He paused as he took a drink from a water bottle. "I have to say this now but if the Japanese ignore the United Nations and decide to go ahead with the plans of a military invasion then Korea will retract their support of the Japanese."

The statement from the president had most of the cabinet members stuck in silence, most of them wanted to go ahead with a Japanese only operation under the reasoning that the gate was located in Ginza so anything on the opposite side of the gate was technically within Japan's borders. However that argument would probably be seen as a petty excuse for the reemergence Japanese Imperialism. The international community wouldn't accept that under any circumstance and would ruin Japan through economic sanctions. That's not to mention blackmail and the fact that the United States would then have a golden opportunity to undermine Japanese authority and bulldoze their way into the gate. The whole point was to make this an only Korean and Japan operation and to do that, something had to give. They didn't have the political nor economic power to defy the world. They weren't the US.

Understanding the current situation, the advisor sat back down having nothing more to say. The room descended into silence as both parties held their tongues, though for entirely different reasons. The Koreans held themselves back awaiting the response from their Japanese counterpart. The Japanese stayed silent, not having an argument against what the president has just said and trying to find another angle for them exploit.

At a glance it would seem like Japan held all the cards, their opinion held greater weight in the UN and around the world. They also held greater economic and political influence across the globe but in this situation every advantage they had was countered by one thing, the ROK Military. Through sheer technological prowess they held the title as one of the most advanced and deadly military force across the globe. No one could deny the military presence that Korea possessed within Asia, they dwarfed Japan in that aspect.

With a low hum the prime minister thought of his options. He didn't have much choice here; he could send in the SDF regardless of the implications of defying the UN. He could also try to persuade the Koreans to help without UN approval, though that option was too foolhardy to even try. So that left...

With a sigh Prime Minister Shinzou came to his decision. Looking directly at the eyes of the man across from him he spoke his thoughts. "We have a short window before the UN starts to gain momentum and try to send their own troops along with ours." In other words they had to move quickly.

Taking the prime minister's statement as a sign of agreement between the two countries the president smiled in approval. "Indeed it's best to call for the meeting soon. That being said, when you want to announce the emergency meeting?" The president asked.

The response he got was immediate.

"Tomorrow at noon."

"That fast?" He thought in surprise before responding back in kind. "Sounds good Prime Minister Shinzou."

The prime minister nodded before frowning, there was still one issue. "If I may ask President Lee Gan Hu. what do we do about the United States?" Just by having this closed door meeting was something of acting against the US.

He gave the prime minister an reassuring smile. "The United States doesn't have too much of a stake in this as you may think."

"What do you mean?" That was preposterous, the US had an incredible investment vested in both Japan and Korea.

The president laced his fingers together. "So far they have upheld the agreement to come to the aid of Japan. Even now there are American soldiers aiding in the cleanup of Ginza. However that is it, it was the Japanese people that suffered that day not American and other than the motive of securing resources from the other side of the gate, no other country has another reason to go through. For us Koreans however, we already have an investment due to our Marines being on the ground when the Ginza Incident happened." He shrugged. "And if that's not enough then we could also say that we're using this as an opportunity to improve relations between our countries. Heavens know how long the international community has been saying for us to "make up."

The prime minister nodded at the reasoning, it was good enough he supposed. "Now that that's out of the way, shall we get down to the military side of things?"

The president nodded at the question before letting his military adviser take the lead. "Yi Yon Su, you're up."

"Yes sir." With that the man stood up with a touchpad in his hands. "Regardless of what the JSDF will bring the we will be sending in 4 K2 Black Panther MBTs, 8 K21 IFVs and finally the Fifth Engineering Brigade along with the First Marine Regiment which is on total, approximately 3,500 soldiers that will be supporting the JSDF." He put down the touchpad as he waited the response of his Japanese counterpart.

For a while the prime minister along with his own military advisers talked silently as they worked to come up with a number to pin on their military force composition.

Finally the prime minister turned to the Koreans with a sheepish look. "Uhh as unfortunate as it is, we won't be able to give you a definite response as to what we'll be able to send through the gate. As of right now it isn't clear to any of us due to recent budget cuts. However," He hastily added. "I can give you a rough timetable for the day of the operation."

"And that is?" The president asked with raised a raised brow.

"We estimate that we'll be able to put together a sizable force within three months."

The president lulled over the statement. It took the South Korean military roughly 3 months to push all the up to Pyongyang during the Reunification War and before that it only took a couple days have the entire South Korean war machine cranked up to full wartime levels. Three months was an embarrassing timetable and they knew it. However what could be done? Nothing really except to wait as the Japanese scrambled to scrounge together a force capable of an extended deployment.

In the end the president shrugged. "That's fine with me Prime Minister Shinzou. All I ask it to have your force composition ready by the time the UN meeting begins."

"It'll be done by the end of today, that I can assure you. Now, I do believe that that is it or am I forgetting something?" The prime minister took a glance at this advisers, to which they shook their heads.

"Yes, I do think that we have gone over everything for today." The president agreed as he stood up. Once again the two parties shook hands before the Koreans made their out of the conference room.

As the door closed behind the last Korean official the prime minister breathed out a loud sigh and sat back into his chair. He didn't care that his advisers were still in the room, he was tired damnit. "This is going to be such a pain to deal with." He quietly groaned. Plus he had to shoot his mouth off and say that the announcement was going to be tomorrow. As if he didn't have enough on his plate to deal with.

"You'll be fine sir, this is only temporary."

He let out tired sigh. "I sure hope so because I can already feel the grey hairs."

* * *

 **Next day at Noon:**

The world watched through various media outlets in anticipation as President Lee Gan Hu and Prime Minister Shinzou took their place on a podium for their upcoming announcements.

The prime minister started off first. "We are here today to ask the United Nations to convene in an emergency special session in regards to a collaborated military operation between Japan and Korea in their response to the Battle of Ginza that took place just seven days ago."

Taking his spot in the spotlight after the prime minister, President Lee Gan Hu took his turn. "We will be asking for the UN to acknowledge the efforts of Japan and Korea to send military personnel and equipment through the gate in a joint operation as a direct response to the Ginza Incident. Let it be known that our goals are not imperialistic in nature but to merely find the ones responsible and seek reparations for the lives lost in Ginza."

With his part over and the message sent, the two national leaders let the news sink in before leaving the podium and walking out the room quickly, not wanting to answer any questions at the time. And that was it, that was the announcements that would be the first step into the future of the world. Within a few scant minutes the two national figures shook the world into a frenzy as everyone prepared for the UN meeting that would be held in the next 24 hours.

* * *

 **The next day after the UN meeting:**

With a tired groan President Lee Gan Hu leaned back on his seat in his private jet. As he stared at the white ceiling he thought back to the meeting and the outcome.

They got the permission from the 5 permanent security council nations easy enough thankfully. The fact that they were willing to allow a military adviser from each of the 5 countries was enough to placate them. The others fell in line behind the "Big 5", so to speak, and generally showed a mixture of interest but at the same time caution. They knew that if something happened then all responsibility would be on Japan and Korea. A hefty burden to shoulder.

The most outspoken country against the joint operation was India, which wasn't all that surprising considering that they had been flexing their muscles quite a bit during the last several years.

Their main argument against the joint operation was that Japan and Korea were doing this to expand their influence and keep everything to themselves. No surprise there, they had been expecting that kind of response and they were especially harsh on Japan stating that this was Japan's attempt to return to imperialism. However no matter how hard they yelled or screamed or what have you, one country couldn't do much against the will of the "Big 5."

"Well I shouldn't be dwelling on this, one way or another we got approval so now I need to focus on mobilizing the military in preparation for D-Day in three and a half months." With that thought he looked at the list in his hands showing the military personnel and equipment that was going to be sent through alongside the Japanese.

Leading the charge would be the 4 K-2 Black Panthers which would be supplemented by 8 K-21 IFVs and both would be supplied by the 1st Armored Brigade. Tagging along from the same corps was the 5th Engineer Brigade, which made sense in the fact that they previously had experience working with each other given that the two brigades operated under V Corps 'Victorious Advance.' And finally providing the extra grunt work for the invasion force would be the 1st Marine Regiment. In total the Koreans would be sending in roughly three thousand men and women which was about a third of what the Japanese were sending.

The president's gaze lingered on the 1st Marine Regiment. They were going in on the first wave, which meant his son was too. He wanted to call him, make sure he was fine maybe just talk for a while but he couldn't, not with the way his son thought of him. A workaholic, a neglectful husband and a plethora of other reasons.

The issues began when his mother was pregnant. At the time he was so focused on his budding political career that he ended up neglecting his pregnant wife. Then rumors of him cheating started and everything took a downhill course. They were separated, him in Korea and her in America, then his child born as a an American citizen and finally a divorce after returning to Korea with their...her year old child.

She "won" the divorce and took custody of the child despite him begging all through the civil case to reconsider the divorce. He grew up with his grandparents and mother, had decent grades, made friends and from what he saw a few times a best friend, one that joined the military with him. Pretty good life considering everything that happened...and he missed all of it. While his child was living his life and making his childhood memories he was chasing his dream of the presidency, a dream that he later achieved with hollow feelings.

He wanted to get reconcile with them, set everything straight but they had no desire to do so. So he wouldn't force it but in the end, that was his son going into danger. He couldn't help but worry about his safety. It was a selfish thing to do, he knew it. He didn't know his son, not his personality, not his dreams, not his life but despite that he still worried for his son's well being.

Shaking his head the man breathed out a sigh before closing his eyes and slowly drifting off to unconsciousness.

* * *

 **The next day:**

In a lavish hotel room in Seoul, Korea, six individuals stared at the TV. Four of the individuals were the Marines involved in Ginza and the other two were the one's that was with the rest of the regiment during the battle.

The recently reunited squad had just finished watching the announcement from the Secretary-General of the United Nations stating the acknowledgement of a joint military operation to go through the gate in three and a half months. So in the light of this information the squad sat around the room in silence, not really having a reaction to the otherwise important news.

The rejoined squad was spread throughout the room in a haphazard manner with Sergeant Bun Jung Hua and Corporal Jong Han sitting on the foot of the bed.

The sergeant came from a military family that spanned back all the way to the Korean War and due to it, was expected to make a career in the military. He was generally a quiet and reserved individual that often masked his emotions, much to John's annoyance. Very few times the man instigated a conversation and usually he would only talk if asked a question or when filling his role as second in command which was not a lot as John was a constant presence within the squad. When he wasn't filling his role as second in command he was the squads automatic rifleman, which ironically was the complete opposite of his personality with the K3 light machine gun making him the loudest and most noticeable one of the squad.

Next to him was Corporal Jong Han who was a childhood friend of John and the complete opposite of the sergeant in every way possible. He was conscripted into the Marines and counted down the days when he could "gain freedom" as he called it and was loud enough and brash enough to make him an annoyance of everyone but John. His personality combined with the fact he was put in a squad with a familiar face often brought out the worst in John as they threw around enough curse words and sexual innuendos to make a sailor or porn star blush. His role of the squads rifleman often had him complaining that he was "wronged" and the K2A rifle he was given was a "gun for bitches." And living up to his personality he was the first one to speak up in the otherwise silent room.

"Well isn't that shocking news? Don't you think so Mr. Promotion?" The sarcastic comment from Jong Han was directed at the newly made Sergeant First Class John Lee.

John sneered back at him. "Well asswipe if you got off your ass did some fucking work then maybe you wouldn't be a Corporal. Damn peasant." For the squad present this was nothing new, they just hoped no one important came in while they were busy with each other. It had happened before and it was safe to say that that day the squad became familiar with the ground in an intimate manner as they did countless sets of PT for hours on end.

"I'm not a peasant you fuck. If anyone is a peasant, it's those newbies over there." Jong Han shot back while pointing to the youngest members.

He scoffed at the reply. "Yeah and those "peasants" are now the same rank as you." Turning towards the two former Privates he continued. "Good job, you two make me so fucking proud. Hell how could I not? You being promoted gives me more ammo to wreck this bumble fuck over here."

Now Corporals, Kim Tae Ha and Hyung Ben looked away from the "compliment" not wanting to get involved in their seniors all too wonderful conversation.

Rocking back on his behind the Corporal continued on. "Woah there don't get too proud there all mighty Sergeant First Class, they just might suck your dick for that."

It was at this point that the squads marksman jumped in, trying to stop the conversation before anyone important came in but failing as she became the target herself.

"My god calm down, you two supposedly best friends finally got to meet each other after nine days and you do this? I swear I got the worst squad in the platoon, especially with you two." She pointed out though doing so only opened her up for fire from both Marines.

"Bitch you can calm down after you hop off John's dick." Jong Han retorted not ashamed at the rather blunt insinuation.

John of course took things a bit further. "Well you can stay on. After all if you're this much of a bitch when I regularly clean your pipes then who knows what will happen if they end up clogging up?"

"Hah!"

A low growl came from her throat before she suddenly smiled. It was an unnerving smile, a sudden and drastic change from her threatening growl.

"Well unfortunately I may have to find a replacement. You've been leaving behind a lot of junk in my pipes, it's...unsatisfactory to say the least."

A brief moment passed before everyone burst into laughter even the quiet sergeant. Well everyone except John that is. He simply sat back and let the squad have their time, they all needed it, especially the three others that got involved in Ginza who were asked questions day in and day out for several days. Yesterday being the first day they had off since then and earlier today they were told to head back to division HQ for an important announcement. Seems like there was a lot of those lately.

Anyway they already had an idea of what the announcement was beforehand and seeing the decision of the UN, it became pretty obvious what their future entailed. Everyone seemed excited to on the first wave through and so did the rest of the world. He could understand the excitement but if he was honest, the thought of going through seemed less appealing with every passing day.

If and when they got into an engagement, it wouldn't be a fight but a slaughter which no doubt send a bunch of people into flying rage. On top of the refugees that will no doubt be present along with keeping an eye out for magic users that supposedly existed, yeah for him it seemed like one big clusterfuck. Of course that wasn't even touching on the political side of things, who knows what kind of bull shit those politicians would pull out their asses. So unlike the rest of his squad, he would count down the days until D-Day not in excitement but in acceptance. He accepted that they would go through and as squad leader he accepted his role to send the five Marines into danger. He accepted that responsibility and he would make damn sure they returned to their families.

He would have to call his own family and tell them the news and get all that emotional stuff out the way so he could focus on getting ready for D-Day. Seriously sometimes his mother worried too much and he had no doubts that she would go into a frenzy at the thought of her "baby boy" going into a fight. Well more of a beat down of epic proportions than a fight. After all, a fight insinuated that each side held a chance of winning.

"The next few months are gonna get hectic. " He thought while looking up at the sky. "Better make the most of our downtime and get everything ready for D-Day."

* * *

 **Three and a half months later: D-Day**

News reporter Nanami Kuribayashi looked on at the two easily distinguishable forces with the Koreans wearing the more modern digital woodland camouflage and the Japanese opting to wear an older style of solid green camouflage. If that wasn't enough then the difference in technology most certainly made it clear who was who.

The SDF were getting sent in with outdated Cold War era equipment, the government deeming them good enough for combat. It didn't help that fielding anything bigger or better was currently beyond their deployment capabilities with the defense budget still recovering from the beat down it got several months earlier.

The Koreans on the other hand, whether it was their military philosophy or more likely a nonexistent budget issue made the Japanese equipment look like they had just dug them out of storage, dusted them and said "Here, it shoots so deal with it." Which was actually true but that wasn't the point. The point was, the Koreans were showing their teeth, their very sharp, very dangerous teeth. Although, going by what her cameraman had said earlier apparently the Koreans were being sent in with some outdated equipment. Something about wearing Dragon Skin instead of the STL Body Armor which was military gibberish to her. It was probably something the SDF wouldn't use due to its nature as a self defense force, not a traditional standing military.

She was broken away from her thoughts as her cameraman gave the signal for her to start. Turning around so her back was to the invasion force she began her report of the news, albeit somewhat awkwardly.

Behind her, lining through the streets was a mixture of the Japanese fielded Mitsubishi produced trucks and Humvee's as well as the Korean Joint Light Tactical Vehicles. The Korean JLTVs were fielded by the 1st Marine Regiment and the 5th Engineer Brigade as form of transport or judging from the various types of weapons on top, another way to kill. In the very front were the Korean K-2 Black Panthers and IFVs that were partnered up with their MBTs along with the Japanese Type-74s. They would be the first ones through and the ones responsible for clearing and securing a staging area for the rest of the troops. Intermingled in within the mass of bodies and equipment was the occasional APC that were fielded by both nations.

The soldiers stayed close to their vehicles as the waited for the zero hour of the invasion. Though some preferred the term incursion instead of invasion even if the definitions were similar. It certainly sounded better than calling an invasion but in the end that's what this operation was, an invasion across worlds in order to find the man responsible for Ginza and seek reparations from said man. Of course you couldn't forget the prospect of resources though if you asked a Korean or Japanese politician they would politely deny the question. Bring the man responsible to justice and use the operation as a chance to improve relations, that's what they would say and it was the story they were sticking with.

As it hit zero hour for the invasion everyone turned their attention to the commanders of the operation. The two commanders were standing on a raised platform looking down on the soldiers that were now standing in formation.

The man leading the Japanese and by proxy the operation was Lieutenant General Koichiro Hazama. Next to him was Brigadier General Bak Myun Jie, the man in charge of the Koreans and a gruff man who on the shorter side. He had a reputation to be on the blunt side, most likely gained from wading through the political mess that came along during and after the Reunification War.

Taking their place on stage the commanders took their turns at giving their speeches that were given to them several days before, something Lieutenant General Hazama did without complaint but the Korean general didn't seem too pleased with the speech he was given and made it known when it was his turn.

As he waved a piece of paper through the air the brigadier general started off in his usual gruff tone. "This paper is the speech that was given to me and I was supposed to deliver this to you. Basically what I was supposed to say in this retarded speech was that you're a bunch of badasses and that you uphold the honor of the Korean military." He brought the sheet up to his face. "Oh and that you walk in the shoes of the soldiers that came before you and that "it's your duty to prove yourselves once again to the world of the professional Korean soldier." He brought his fingers up as the quoted directly from sheet. A moment later the man tossed the paper down as he snorted.

"What horse shit twinkie writes this stuff? Well anyway if you can't tell I'm not giving out this speech or any speech really. Not sure why the idiots upstairs want to try and motivate you fools with this cheesy shit. Not like you need the motivation anyway, you fucking savages."

Lieutenant General Hazama stood still in shock with his mouth agape as he saw his fellow general continue on, not caring for the fact that this was all being captured by the news crews and the civilians that had gathered around ground zero.

"So what are you waiting for? Shut up and mount up, we're moving in ten mikes." He waved the soldiers off with his hand, a gesture that looked like he was shooing the soldiers away.

With a loud chorus of 'Yes sir' the Koreans soldiers moved out of formation and into their designated vehicles. The Japanese soldiers however stood still, confused as whether or not if they should follow the orders of the Korean general.

They were quickly pushed into action when the Japanese general motioned them to get into their vehicles.

A moment later and Ginza, Tokyo was filled with the sounds of the rumbling engines from the military columns.

Within their JLTV John sat in the driver seat as he waited for the final checks to be done by their commanders. Besides him was Kim Han Yoon as she peered out of her window in the passenger seat. Behind the two was Jong Han as he tapped on his wrist mounted TacPad as he readied the remote turret on top of their JLTV. The 6 person squad was broken into two vehicles with the second in command Bun Jung Hua along with the two corporals being in the the car next to John's.

It wasn't long before their earpieces crackled to life with the voice of their commander.

"Radio check, sound off C-Company!"

Immediately the company responded back to their commander.

"Checkmate 11 Actual, we're green!"

"Checkmate 12 Actual, ready to fight!"

"Checkmate 13 Actual, good to go!"

"Checkmate 14 Actual, ready sir!"

And so the chain continued until it was John's turn to sound off.

"Checkmate 31 Actual, green light!" And following the chain, the rest of third platoon sounded off with fourth platoon following behind afterwards. As soon as the final squad of fourth platoon sounded off their company commander spoke up once more.

"Ready up! The shutters are opening!"

Everyone in Ginza and those watching through the various media outlets watched in anticipation as the shutters that covered the gate opened up, revealing a swirl of inky black and purple.

In the front of the gate the signal man waved a flag signaling for the tanks and IFVs to move into the gate. The signal man waited sixty seconds after the rear of the last tank disappeared before raising the flag that signaled for everyone else to follow in.

Jolting forward the first vehicle disappeared into the darkness. Behind it the rest of the military column slowly moved forward as they passed the cheering crowds and into the gate.

As John's JLTV finally crossed through the entrance the Marine turned on the lights of the JLTV, further illuminating the darkness around them.

Behind him Jong Han spoke up as he took as look around them.

"Damned Buddha it's like the anus of a black man in here, fucking shit."

Not bothered by his long time friends statement John stared ahead as he maintained formation with the rest of the JLTVs around them however the female marksman craned her head to stare at Jong Han with a blank look.

He stared back with an innocent look, well as innocent as it could. "What?"

In the end all she could do was pinch the bridge of her nose and sigh. "Nothing, just...nothing."

Turning around she rested her head on the window.

Raising an eyebrow at the weak response he poked his head outside his window and snorted at what he saw.

"Wow look at the Japanese, battle locking their windows, so fucking pro man." He even clapped in a condescending manner.

With one hand on the steering wheel John responded back with a shake of his head. "Oh cut them some slack, they haven't gone to war in a hundred years. They probably forgot how to fight. Who knows maybe this turkey shoot will give them some valuable experience."

"Oh right so when they do get into an actual fight they'll only suck dick and not ass." The two shared a brief chuckle at that.

Rolling her eyes at the two men the female marksman turned her head and stared at the car next to them.

"Please let me in your car." She asked in a desperate tone.

In his usual quiet voice the squad's second in command answered back.

"I'm afraid that's impossible, we were assigned three people to a car."

John leaned towards the marksman with a leer. "Aww what's wrong sweetie? Threesome too much for you?"

Turning to her squad leader she smacked his helmet in annoyance before speaking in an exasperated voice. "Can't you take this seriously? I mean we're going to whole other world and you're still here acting like a jackass."

Fixing his skewed helmet John stared ahead once again as he eyed the seemingly endless amount of vehicles in front of them. He spoke to the newly made sergeant in a neutral tone.

"What's the point? Stressing out over something that hasn't happened yet is being stupid. Like you, you haven't been sleeping well the past couple days." He said while gesturing to the bags under her eyes.

Seeing her fidget with her gear he firmly gripped her shoulder, stopping all movement. He spoke in a soft but serious tone. "Whatever worries you have, bury it right now. I need you at your best, alright?" Getting a nod in return he directed the next question to the rest of the squad. "That goes for everyone else, I need you guys at your best. Got me?"

Getting a round of affirmatives from his squad John found the end of their short journey rapidly approaching.

As they approached the end he mentally went through the battle plan again. Once the Marines and JSDF crossed into the other side they would form a large perimeter around the gate while the engineers created a temporary defense comprised of several layers of concertina wire along with an electrified wall. Should the need arise then they would cover the engineers from any hostile force which judging from the photos gained from a UAV, seemed likely.

A moment later they crossed the milky whiteness that signaled the end and the first thing they heard was the boom of the tanks main guns along with the rattles of small arms fire.

"Contact 800 meters in front! Free fire, cover the engineers!"

And thus they greeted their enemy with fire.

* * *

Mikes: Mike stands for minutes in the phonetic alphabet. So as shown above, 5 mikes equal 5 minutes.

IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle): This type of armored vehicle is designed to carry soldiers into battle and provide direct fire support with an auto cannon of at least 20mm in caliber, a coaxial machine gun and even an ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missiles). They're also much more heavily armored than an APC.

APC (Armored Personnel Carrier): The major difference between an APC and IFV is the weapons they carry. A role of an APC is to take a group of soldiers and get them in or out of a battle. That's it. The weapons an APC carries is designed for self defense only with the caliber of guns being less than 20mm.

JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle): This is the vehicle that's probably going to replace the US military fleet of Humvees. It's designed to provide better protection from roadside bombs with its elevated bottom that's also v-shaped to deflect and absorb damage. It also has better off-road capability than the Humvee and overall a very good replacement for the aging car.

I also want to make it clear on the military call signs and what they mean. In this chapter John and his company squad leaders did their radio checks, take Checkmate 31 Actual (pronounced three-one) for example. John is a part of C-Company or Checkmate. He is squad leader of 1st squad that's a part of 3rd platoon. Actual stands for when it's the actual squad leader talking, if it was anyone else within the squad there wouldn't be an Actual.


	3. Conflict

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my OCs. Gate belongs to its respective owner yada yada yada. You know the drill.

A/N: Not really relevant but damnit this chapter really fought me. I don't know why but it did and I am so glad this chapter is finally finished. Now I gotta work on the next chapter which is something I am looking forward too in all honesty.

Now, unto the chapter.

* * *

Looking through his night vision goggles John stared through the darkness that laid beyond Alnus Hill. Through his green tinted vision he could make out the large splotches of blood spread all over the ground, a gruesome display of the power that laid within their weapons. Among the spots of blood were the corpses of both human and nonhuman bodies. Though few would find the mangled bodies as anything but piles of flesh.

It was a turkey shoot plain and simple. At one point he didn't even bother aiming and simply sprayed into the mass of bodies and so after the first day of fighting they had killed an indescribable number of their enemy and it was done with no casualties on their end.

No one was surprised by this of course, anyone who saw what happened in Ginza could tell they had the clear advantage in military power. So despite having the numbers advantage the Imperials were unable to make any progress. Technology was a hell of an equalizer after all and it was something the joint invasion force had in spades.

"Makes me wonder if they're gonna keep sending men at us? There is nothing they can really do against us." He mused to himself.

The Imperial Army really couldn't do anything against them. They held the high ground and they had superior weapons. The combination of the two put the Imperial Army at a severe disadvantage. The only option besides retreating was to keep sending men in a desperate attempt to break their defense which would only end in disaster for the Imperials.

John shook his head to get rid of the thought and turned his attention towards his only female squad mate. So far she had been the worst off within the squad due to her lack of sleep before the invasion. Currently she was at her post, her head slightly dipping ever so often showing her struggle to stay awake.

As much of an ass he tended to be especially when he was around Jong Han, he wasn't going to let her struggle to stay awake when it was clearly hurting her. He didn't need to check her vitals via the nanobots within the Korean soldier to know she was done for the night. Walking over to her post he gently shook her awake, snapping the soldier into focus for a brief moment.

"I'm good Lee." She started off knowing what he was about to say.

"You're look dead right now." He replied back before thumbing towards their JLTV. "Go get some sleep, I can take over."

Shaking her head in a slow manner she denied the request as she reached for a small case on her waist. "All I need is little pick me up." But her hand was stopped by John's halfway to its destination, looking up she saw him staring back with a stern look.

"Not happening, if you take that now you'll end up crashing tomorrow during combat besides that's for emergency only. Sleep now and get rest, that's an order sergeant." The order went unanswered as the two fell into silence for several moments. Sighing John grasped her jaw and lifted her drooping head.

"Fell asleep standing up, damn stubborn idiot." He thought while picking her up. As he made his way to the car, he found the squad grenadier was already at the door holding it open.

Putting her in the seat John gently closed the door before looking at the younger Marine as he nodded in thanks. Merely waving it off Kim Tae Ha simply moved back to his sentry duty.

Taking the now sleeping sergeants post he lifted his wrist and thumbed through a small rectangular TacPad.

The TacPads main function was to allow a steady stream of information to the squad both in and out of combat. It gave everyone the ability to monitor each squad mate on a biological level through the nanobots within them, reading such things as levels of stress, heartbeat and injuries sustained. It also allowed for many other functions such as shared vision among the squad through their helmet cams but as of right now those functions weren't needed.

Looking at the screen he found that thankfully everyone else was alright, their brainwaves showing that they were awake. Shutting the device off he stood at his new post and prepared for the long haul to wait until he was relieved or when dawn came, whichever came first.

Unsurprisingly as dawn approached the Imperial Army attempted to cross the killing grounds once more. The early morning battle became repeat of the first day as the Imperial Army was crushed wholesome by the combined power of the JSDF and Korean forces that occupied Arnus Hill, with the only survivors being the one's that had run away.

For the next 24 hours things calmed down as no signs of an attack were present giving the invasion force time to stock up and start building a base for future operations. However their reprieve was short lived as scouts radioed in that an allied army was seen approaching the hill.

Hearing of another army the invasion force simply dug back in and waited for the inevitable charge. However just because the invasion force had chosen to dig in didn't mean they were sitting idly. Lieutenant General Hazama and Brigadier General Bak Myun Jie were constantly in communication with the other side as they and the officers around them coordinated their efforts to receive a continuous stream of supplies. One specific munition asked for by the Brigadier General was a variation of the KSTAM which was designed for anti-infantry. This of course confused many Japanese logistics officers as they never even heard of the munition.

One of the officers voiced his question. "Sir what exactly is a KSTAM, we've never even heard of it before."

The Brigadier General looked at the officer along most of the others who expressed similar looks of confusion.

Taking a breath he answered their question in his gruff voice. "Basically what this round does is turn our K-2s into pseudo artillery pieces. Simply said, it's fired at a high angle similar to artillery and a when it reaches it's destination it deploys a parachute. When it does the onboard sensors either automatically or manually from the tank crews detect the enemy and fire down from above. The original KSTAM was designed to take advantage of the weaker top armor of tanks but the version I asked for is designed against infantry."

Receiving the answer they desired the officers went back to work. Nodding at the Korean general, Lieutenant General Hazama spoke to his Korean counterpart in approval at the decision.

"Good thinking though I wish that you had said something about this a bit earlier. It could've spared everyone some confusion."

"Yeah well shit happens." He scoffed back in return and basically telling the Japanese general to "deal with it." The small exchange while not outright hostile in nature showed that some amount of friction still existed between the two countries and their people. Despite this however the two generals along with their subordinates worked tirelessly to get the invasion force squared up for another round of fighting.

When the expected charge came at midday the rounds that were given to the Korean tank crews showed their worth as a hail of lead poured down from above the heads of the primitive soldiers. The next charge came at night and was the allied army's final attempt to capture Arnus Hill but it was all for nought as bright flares lit up the battlefield exposing them to the bombardment and gunfire from those atop of the sacred hill.

Things calmed down after that as the next few days were passed in the construction of a new base that would be HQ for the invasion force and the defensive line between any hostile force and the gate. The construction progressed quickly as everyone lended a hand at building the star shaped fortress and after a few days everything was built. On the same day of the completion of HQ or Alpha as it was designated, long term survival equipment that would sustain the base in case of total isolation came through the gate, much to the generals relief.

* * *

"So basically you want me to go out on my own? To investigate, form relations and all that?" Itami asked in a depressed voice.

"Hell no Itami, like anyone can trust you to do that alone. No you'll be leading a recon team, Recon Team 3 to be precise. Oh and you'll be getting support from a squad of Marines so have fun." And so given his assignment Itami was shooed out the tent and directed towards his new team.

As he reached his destination he found himself thinking what he could be doing instead of being team leader of all things.

"I could be watching anime, reading manga or doujinshi. Or better yet I could be catching up on Mei Com." He silently complained to himself. Before he could continue his train of thought, a familiar feminine voice drew his attention.

"Itami? Is that you? What are you doing here?"

Seeing the familiar face of the Korean Marine he found himself smiling despite his earlier thoughts and responded back in kind. "Yeah it's me and I'm in charge of Recon Team 3 now. Seeing you here means that you'll be our support right?"

Nodding in affirmative she waved him to his new team that was behind her. "Yeah the rest of the squad will be here in a bit. Also don't forget your people."

"My people, right." He thought while walking up to the Japanese soldiers that were lined up and introduced himself in a bored tone. "Hey uhhh I'm First Lieutenant Youji Itami, I'll be your new commander."

Seeing that the newest additions weren't going to talk, the oldest member Soichiro Kuwahara or "Pops" as he was more commonly known spoke up for them. "You already know most of us a bit so I'll introduce you to the newest members. This is Sergeant First Class Shino Kuribayashi and Mari Kurokawa, who is also our combat medic."

Seeing the two females salute Itami waved off the formal action much to their surprise. "No need to salute me you two, it's not necessary."

Dropping their salute the females joined the rest of the recon team in waiting for the rest of the Korean Marine's. Several minutes passed before the Marines showed up in their two JTLVs. Looking on top of the car the Japanese soldiers saw the typical .50 caliber machine gun along with a new non lethal addition. On top of both vehicles was an LRAD, one of the most widely used non lethal weapons, often used in crowd control by police and military.

Pops was the first to speak up voicing the basic question in their minds. "Why do you have an LRAD up there?"

Replying back in his usual manner John lightly patted the disk shaped LRAD. "Well figured that at one point we'll come across some unhappy campers and thought to myself "bullets are more expensive so why not use sound" and so here we are." He paused as he let the information sink in before continuing. "I should probably mention that the settings goes up a lot higher than police versions so yeah gonna have fun with this. Oh and I'm John Lee, Sergeant First Class and squad leader of this bunch."

As soon as he finished the Marines and JSDF began to introduce themselves to each other.

Walking up to the squad leader Itami offered him a handshake.

"Hey John, you look better since the last time we met."

Gripping Itami's hand John responded in kind.

"Yeah well I'm not covered in blood for one."

Kurokawa spoke up from beside them, getting the attention of both men. "Have you two met before?"

John nodded at the question. "Yeah at Ginza, me and my squad minus Jong Han and Bun Jung Hua was there helping out."

"You were at Ginza sir?!" The excited voice had come from Kuribayashi who was looking at the Marines with wide eyes.

"Yeah I was…"

"Oh! Sergeant First Class Kuribayashi sir!" She snapped to an enthusiastic salute. Before she could say more Pops gestured her into their truck. "You can talk later, right now we're moving out."

John nodded at Pops before calling for his own men. "Alright, mount up guys, we're moving out."

The Marines broke away from their Japanese counterparts before getting into their JLTVs.

John turned to Itami. "Hey Itami, just making sure but make sure you've packed your translators. We really don't have a way to communicate with the locals otherwise."

That and backtracking to Alpha would be both embarrassing for the team and a waste of time they couldn't afford to waste.

"Alright, I'll check in with Pops." Itami nodded before turning around.

John turned away from the retreating back of Itami and walked towards his JLTV. As he opened the door and climbed inside. Inside he found Kim Han Yoon and Jong Han already sitting there waiting for him.

"So is everything ready?" Asked Kim Han Yoon.

John replied back as he got comfortable in his drivers seat. "Almost, Itami has to make sure the translators were packed. It shouldn't take too long."

As soon as the words left his mouth they heard Itami contact them over the radio.

"Check, check, you guys hear me?"

Hearing the voice John started up the car. "Gotcha loud and clear Itami."

"Good, I got you on my end as well. Just checked in with Pops too, we're clear to head out."

He nodded in satisfaction. "Right well my JLTV should take point, if anything comes our way we've got the armor to tank most things we're likely to counter. LAV should bring up the rear along with the other JLTV."

"Lead the way, we'll be right behind you." With that the vehicles rumbled out of the parking space and made their way out of the base.

As they sped through the countryside the team found themselves appreciating the unpolluted nature that surrounded them. The kind of purity present was something that could only be seen and felt here as the natural life in their world became more and more polluted.

"It's really nice out here." Mumbled Itami while staring at the passing scenery.

"Yeah it is. Now it would perfect if we could get some Internet connection so I could catch up on Mei Com." Kurata said back in response.

Itami whined as he leaned back on his seat. "Aww Kurata don't remind me of that when I just forgot about it. I mean it's bad enough that I missed the summer convention but now with me here in the Special Region I might even end up missing the winter convention."

"I know Itami-san it sucks but on the bright side when we do get out of here we'll have plenty of stuff to catch up on."

"I guess but it hurts right in my heart to not have my Mei Com with me." He gently patted the area above his heart for emphasis.

Suddenly a low growl came over the radio. "As much as this sounds fascinating could you two I don't know, not talk into the fucking radio?"

Itami blinked as it took him a moment to recognize the voice that had spoken up. "Ughh sorry John if it was bothering you. Didn't know that you hated anime."

They could hear a snort. "I don't hate anime or anything of that nature, honest. But thing is, unlike you guys I have this bum named Jong Han in my car and he won't won't shut the hell up so yeah, just feeling a bit annoyed is all."

"Well...you have my condolences."

John responded back in a sarcastic tone. "Thanks buddy, you're the best."

Afterwards everyone kept to themselves for a while as they drove through the peaceful countryside. After shifting in his seat John briefly looked down at his TacPad to find that they were close to the village. He took the chance to radio the rest of the team.

"Check, check, we're about 10 clicks out from the village."

He could hear a slight buzz before Itami's voice came over the radio. Damn outdated radios.

"Got it and remember everyone benevolent, kind and friendly is the objective." Within his vehicle Itami looked on the map and marked couple other villages that were close by. Afterwards they would initiate contact in those places too meaning they were going to be out in the field for a couple days. Thankfully they had packed enough to last several days.

John let out a low sigh in annoyance. "Yeah, a pain if you ask me."

This time Kuribayashi decided to joined in from her truck behind the Korean JLTVs. "Why do you say that sir?"

He paused as he struggled to remember the voice but only came up empty. "Umm honey who are you? Can't tell by voice yet."

"It's Sergeant First Class Kuribayashi Shino sir."

John rolled his eyes. 'Oh right, the overly excited one with the big tits.' Of course he kept that line of thought to himself. No need to be rude just yet.

He kept his voice even as he spoke to her. "Ohh you're the one who talked to me earlier. Right got it memorized. So why is it a pain you ask. Well for one I have a shitty personality and when Jong Han is with me, it gets even worse so people whether they know what we're saying or not generally don't like us. Two, talking to an old grandpa isn't something I like, women are more preferable. And three, this is a bit off topic but don't call me sir, period, especially since we're the same rank."

"Understood, so John?" She relented albeit somewhat reluctantly.

"Yeah that's fine Kuriba...Kumi..." They could hear an annoyed grunt. "Fuck it, I'm calling you Shino-chan from now on."

As she sat in her seat Kuribayashi frowned as she tried to come up with a response. The Korean Marines weren't like anything she imagined, they seemed too relaxed. Too simple and uncaring, completely different from the cool and professional image she had held in her mind.

"...That's fine, I guess." The last part came out as a mumble. She would've preferred her last name but she wasn't going to deny him.

Hearing the conversation taking place between the two soldiers made Itami smile. He was kind of worried about any sort of friction between the Marines and SDF but so far things seemed good. Granted he didn't know if it was going to stay that way but so far, everything was good.

"Village up ahead. What's the plan?" John suddenly asked.

Just like John said the village entrance could be seen as they crested over a hill. Given the reigns for the operation Itami began to issue his orders.

"Alright everyone stop about a hundred meters from the entrance, we'll walk the rest, no need to scare the whole village with our vehicles."

Within his JLTV John frowned as he heard the plan. "You sure about that Itami? We'll be safer inside the cars and there's also the fact that we don't know if they're friendly. For all we know there may be an ambush up ahead."

Taking his criticism in stride Itami stayed with his original plan. "No I think it's best if we do it my way, as I said earlier we're here to make friendly relations."

"Well there won't be anything friendly if they're against us but it's your call, we'll follow it." John relented. As much as he wanted to he couldn't make the decisions here, the superior officer was Itami and as such he and his squad was under his command. It put a knot in his stomach knowing that someone who wasn't his direct superior was in command of his squad but if there was one thing he learned from the military was that sometimes you just had to deal with it. No matter how you strongly you felt.

Of course it didn't mean that he would leave his squad out to dry, not a chance. First contact whether peaceful or not would be made with their full arsenal out on display. Well, full arsenal that they were allowed to use, the fancier toys had been deemed "unnecessary." What nonsense, there was no such thing as unnecessary when beating down soldiers that were a thousand years behind them, really it was all in good fun. For him at least.

Stepping out of their vehicle he motioned Jong Han to bring out one of the few weapons hidden away in the trunk. "Get the PDR."

He paused as he turned towards the second JLTV. "Hey! Get the PDR rack!"

Seeing his second in command wave in affirmative John turned his attention back to Jong Han who had the trunk open. Walking up to the trunk John was handed a large black object. The object was in a rectangular shape that was 6 inches in width and 18 inches in length and if a person were to look closely they would see that the object was separated at the halfway point. Holding the large object in his hand John slid the object diagonally unto Jong Han's back where it securely rested with the top poking over his left shoulder. The man jumped in place a bit to make sure it wouldn't fall off and seeing that it wouldn't the duo joined the rest of the team who had been watching from afar.

"So what's with the fancy box?" Itami asked.

Turning towards Itami Jong Han gave him a large smile. "Extra insurance, one that goes boom." Seeing the unsatisfied look he further explained the gadget. "This here is the PDR or Personal Defense Rocket. This wonderful little contraption can fire up to four 45mm rockets with a range of up to 200 meters. It was made to give the individual squad enough firepower to beat back just about anything it can encounter on the battlefield."

"He also forgot that I'm the one that carries the extra rockets." John said while pointing to the large case that was placed on his back, courtesy of his second in command. "So technically it's a two man operation."

"Is this really necessary? I mean we probably won't even need those." Itami retorted however the man wouldn't budge.

"Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it."

Seeing the waste of time it was to try and convince the Korean otherwise Itami sighed and motioned the recon team towards the village.

"Fine whatever lets just go, we're wasting daylight." He pretended not to hear the high five that sounded behind him as he marched forward.

As they began to move out Kurokawa took the chance to look around their surroundings. Both with the reason of caution and to admire the peaceful landscape. As she did so however she found Kuribayashi staring at the Marines in an almost reverent expression.

She took the chance to tap her on the shoulders. "It isn't polite to stare Kuribayashi-san."

Jumping from the sudden contact she shipped her head around to find the smiling face of their medic.

"Oh! I-I umm..." She ducked her head at being caught staring at the Korean Marines. "I-I mean it's just that I still can't believe that I'm actually working with the Korean Marines."

Kurokawa hummed as she heard her excited tone. "I guess I can understand how you feel, I feel the same way. Though their choice in weapons for this mission seems a bit unnecessary."

After a thoughtful glance at the Marines, more specifically at the PDR attached to Jong Han's back she cleared her throat and called for the Korean squad leader.

"Sergeant First Class Lee?" She asked getting his attention. "Can I ask something?"

Hearing his name being called John grimaced as he turned around to face them. "You can but please don't call me by rank and name. Just call me John or Lee or whatever else you want to call me, okay?"

Kurokawa nodded. "I understand."

"So your question?"

"Yes, well I just want to ask why you decided to bring the PDR to this mission. It seems a bit unnecessary for a mission like this." They weren't going to go up against anything that warranted that kind of firepower...hopefully.

A thoughtful look crossed his face as John tried to remember the reason why they were given the PDR for their operations in the Special Region. "Huh….you know I forgot why we had that. I just assumed it's because we wanted to wave a stick that was bigger than the ones the Japanese had but I don't know. Hey anyone remember why we have this fancy shit?"

"My my a squad leader and he can't even answer the simplest question. Tsk tsk shame on you." Jong Han chided at his superior, complete with the finger wagging.

"Go sit on a cactus bitch, besides if you know it then answer it." Hearing nothing from the man he simply gave him the finger before turning towards his second in command. "Hey Bun Jung Hua, you remember the reason?" Seeing the quiet man nod in confirmation he pressed him for the answers. "Well? Don't hold back on us."

The barest hints of the sudden sagging in his shoulders showed that he would rather keep to himself but nonetheless did as he was told. "The PDR system was designed so that a squad would have an immediate defense against an armored vehicle. As for the reason why we were issued the PDR for operations in the Special Region, they were given to us in case we were stranded with no support. It would give the team some more flexibility to operate under little support."

"I see and what about MBTs?" Kuribayashi asked.

"From the front no but from the rear or above then maybe, depends on the tank itself."

For a brief moment Shino went silent, whether it was because of shock or awe remained to be seen.

"So you have a grenadier, an automatic rifleman, a designated marksman, basically another grenadier with the K11, and two rifleman. One of which has a miniature rocket launcher on his back." A short pause filled the silence afterwards before a small mutter could be heard.

"Awesome." Yup this one was definitely filled with awe.

"Right well if you're done then can we can focus on the village we're about to enter?" Itami suggested while pointing to the entrance. "And just making sure, your squad is pulling security right?"

Nodding John answered back. "Yup, don't worry no one will touch your pretty faces."

He turned around and made sure each of his squad mates had their visors on. To his happiness they all had slid down the visors from the compartment within their helmets. The dark tint obscured most of the upper half of their faces, giving out a rather ominous image when combined with their full gear. He slowed down to let the Japanese soldiers go through first, they would be for the most part be the ones initiating contact. Wordlessly the Marines spread out providing a three hundred sixty degree coverage for their Japanese allies.

As they entered the village they were met with a mixture of emotions from the natives. Some seemed surprised, others curious and a few looked outright scared especially at seeing the Korean Marines.

Looking around John and his Marines began marking each individual as a potential combatant. The yellow outlines on their HUDs making it easier to keep track of each person.

'Thankfully no seems to be outright hostile against us.' John thought to himself but nonetheless kept himself and his squad on alert as Itami talked with the village chief.

Seeing Itami finish his talk John walked up to him. He slid up his visor, if only to make eye contact with the man. "So Itami, give me the good news."

"Well mostly good news." Seeing the expectant look on John's face he continued. "We're in the village of Coda, relatively small. Usually have food on the table year round and out of the way so not many bandits." Sighing he gave the bad news. "The thing is, we kinda killed the lords who were in charge of this land at Arnus Hill."

"So a power vacuum then." John surmised. If that was the case then they needed to hoof it back to their vehicles and leave. History proved time and again that a power vacuum almost always ended up in destabilizing a country or even an entire region. If they were caught in the middle of a power struggle then it would only serve to complicate things further, something he wanted to avoid.

Itami nodded. "That too but the biggest problem is the bandits. The lords provided protection from the bandits but now with them gone, these people are open to attack."

John frowned. "You're not thinking of bringing a larger force here to protect these people are you?" He hoped not, Itami needed to see the big picture here. Thankfully Itami did indeed see the bigger picture and the problems it would bring if they brought a sizable force to Coda Village.

"No, as much as I want to help it's beyond our scope for the moment. Everything is too unstable right now to make a move like that." Despite his words it seemed to leave a bad taste in his mouth. He wanted to help these people.

'Glad he knows the position he's in.' John thought. Looking around he gestured towards the natives who were showing their interest in the recon team."So friendly or not?"

"They're friendly John, relax and mingle a bit before we hit the other villages."

"Done and done." He said before giving a the signal to the Marines. Visibly relaxing at the silent order the Marines mimicked their Japanese friends in their interaction with the locals.

It was a peaceful affair between the two groups. Everyone was on their best behavior for this, even Jong Han who was generally not the best behaved person was keeping it down to earth.

'Well at least my guys are being decent, especially Hyung Ben, didn't know he was good with kids. Huh come to think of it I still don't know much about that guy. Better change that soon.' John thought as he looked around. Rolling his shoulders he began scanning the people present. "So who should I tal-oh hello there." Smirking he approached his "target."

Watching her squad leader from afar, Kim Han Yoon shook her head as she saw him approach one of the female villagers.

"Of course he's gonna pick a girl to talk to." She thought in exasperation. She just hoped that he didn't do anything foolish, like lets say, get a girl from the Special Region pregnant. Her musings were cut off when she felt a hand tug on her pants. Looking down she found a small child looking back up at her with wonderment in his eyes.

Squatting down she gently ruffled his hair. Pulling her hand away she referred to the translation book as she tried to speak the native tongue of the special region. The translator in her ears only allowed for them to understand the words. Speaking it was entirely up to them.

"Hello, how are you?" She asked in an awkward voice. Her pronunciation was probably atrocious but it was a start.

The question seemed to fly over the child's head as he was focused on something else entirely. "Can we play together?"

Frowning as the earpiece translator did it's job she answered back.

"No, we leave very soon, sorry." She apologized to the child while gently holding his tiny hands.

"It's okay…" He seemed to deflate at the apology before perking back up. "You'll be back soon right? Then you can play with me?"

She smiled for the child. "Yes very soon. We can play then."

Accepting the answer the small child hopped back over to his small group of friends. Her attention was broken by a call from her squad leader.

"Hey, let's mount up. We've got a another village to hit."

Waving at the child she turned around and jogged back to her squad along with the rest of the Marines.

Seeing no one absent John called over to Itami. "Good to go!"

Finding the recon team all together Itami went ahead and gave the order to head back to the cars. Lightly jogging the distance the team quickly reached their vehicles and hopped back inside. After starting their engines Itami took the lead as they passed through the village.

By the time Recon Team 3 was on the trail to another village the sun shone just above the treeline. Evening was coming and very soon after that was night time and from the way things were going, it seemed like they would have to spend the night outside. As night fell the small convoy slowed to a stop. The location they chose was a large stretch of flat grassy plains that allowed for a complete three hundred sixty degree line of sight for nearly three kilometers, it gave them more than enough time to detect an incoming force.

Opening his door Itami was about to step out but was prevented by a voice coming over the radio.

"Hey wait Itami we shouldn't be stopped like this. We need to get our shit into a defensive coil so our asses aren't hanging out." Suggested the Korean squad leader.

"A coil? Why? Doesn't seem necessary." Itami pointed out in a tired groan. Honestly he just wanted to go to sleep.

"It's a precautionary thing if anything else. Don't worry it'll take about ten minutes, it'll be quick."

Itami let out a tired sigh. "Fine fine whatever you say Rommel. Everyone out and huddle up, let's see the plan."

Once everyone got together John told them of his plan. "Instead of a single line we'll have the vehicles formed up in a defensive coil. This way we'll get complete coverage all around us." A minute he paused as he looked at the surrounding areas. "Normally the vehicles would be placed as a tightening coil but we don't have enough for that so we'll improvise. My JTLV will be at twelve o'clock, second JLTV will be at seven o'clock and Itami's truck will be at five o'clock, twenty-five meter spread. The second truck will be inside the outer perimeter at ten o'clock and the LAV will be at two o'clock."

He paused as he took a breath. "Now if something happens my car will be lead vehicle so peel off counter-clockwise and follow, the LAV will bring up the rear. Simple enough right?" Seeing the tired nods he simply sighed. "Well lets get it set up."

As John began to maneuver his car into position Kim Han Yoon spoke up from beside him in a worried tone.

"Do you think they can follow the plan? They probably haven't even been drilled about defensive coils up until now."

He scoffed. "This is basic shit, not complex at all. If they end up fucking up then the two of us will be out of the way."

A frown marred her face as she made the connection. "So that's why Bun Jung Hua's JLTV is at eight o'clock, going counter-clockwise the two of us will be the first ones out of the coil...you're leaving the Japanese out to dry." She made her disapproval known to her squad leader. She didn't like this, letting their allies be left out to fend for themselves.

He sighed and looked at her in slight annoyance. "I'm not leaving them out to dry, if they can peel out properly then good for them, if not well they've got transport and guns for protection. Besides unlike the Japanese, you guys actually mean something to me."

"What if they find out?" She shot back.

"Good for them then. Not like I care if they're pissed at me." He said with a shrug. It was an ass of a move to make but to him, he found his Marines as priority over the Japanese soldiers.

After the vehicles got into formation a short schedule of who would be on sentry duty was made. Sergeant Kuribayashi would be on first watch, something she did enthusiastically for some reason. Along with her would be John and Hyung Ben who was on top of their vehicles at the moment. After a few minutes of sitting sentry duty John radioed his squad mate.

"Hyung Ben, go to channel two." Switching to the second channel he waited for the response of the Marine.

A short crackle later Hyung Ben's voice came over the radio. "Channel two sir, so what's the issue?"

"No issue, just wanted to talk a bit."

"On what squad leader?" John could practically see the confusion on his face.

John gave a slight grunt as he leaned back on the turret. "On you pretty much. I mean I'm familiar with the rest of the squad but not you. Didn't want to make you feel left out or anything."

"Oh if you say so sir though I'm not really interesting or anything impressive." Hyung Ben seemed surprised at the effort.

"I grew up in the Chagang Province, got involved with gangs early on and barely passed high school. Joined because it was a steady and immediate source of income. That and to prove to my parents that they didn't raise a loser."

John's eyes narrowed at the last bit. "A loser?"

"Yeah, Chagang Province is a poor area that borders China so effects of the project haven't reached there yet. Anyway I got involved with gangs in high school, nothing incriminating but still barely passed school. When I graduated I found all these kids going to colleges and universities on scholarships, financial aid, federal grants and all that but I never planned for any of that...I was too ignorant to prepare for the future." He paused as he took a breath, seemed like talking about his teenage years pissed him off.

"So for a month I tried to find a job, something to help but nothing came up and every day I saw the disappointed looks on my parents. It fucking pissed me off, knowing that my dad and mom worked all day sweating and bleeding only for them to come home and find me, on the floor doing nothing."

John blinked as he heard Hyung Ben curse. That was certainly a surprise considering Hyung Ben rarely cursed.

"And the Marines, how did you come about to that? The northern provinces don't have the requirement to join." He asked as sat up and scanned the area through his night vision goggles.

"...People respect the ROK Marines especially in the northern provinces. They were the spearhead into North Korea as they liberated city after city, town after town and province after province. So to us, they're heroes, someone that we could rely on. But I never wanted or needed that, what I wanted was to make my parents proud that they raised a kid like me. That the 18 years they invested into me wasn't a waste and that I'm someone that has the ability to do something right for once in my life."

John smiled as he heard the confident tone in Hyung Bens voice. "Hmmm those are nice words corporal, you should have been a motivational speaker instead."

For a while no one said anything letting the sounds of nature take over.

"You said something about stable income?" John suddenly asked.

Hyung Ben nodded, not that John could see it. "Yes sir, the money is going back to my parents. Hopefully within the next couple months they have enough money to move down south where the effects of the project can be felt."

John's eyes lit up in recognition. "Ahh Project Alive, the plan to bring up the standard of living one province at a time to the expectations of the government. Sounds good enough on paper; better not get greedy and try to take everything on at once."

"Things are progressing steadily with everyone helping out, especially in the last couple years. It's looking good so far." An optimistic tone could be heard from the corporal.

He let out a sigh, the project was the biggest undertaking of the Korean government. A massive undertaking that had many around the world skeptical of the project succeeding. "Yeah but it's still projected to take around another decade or two for the completion of the project. Lots more people are gonna suffer in the meantime."

"It'll be worth it in the end sir."

"Hopefully it will be. Now, let's switch back over to channel one. Don't want Shino-chan getting lonely." A slight buzz could be heard by the two men as they changed channels. Their attention was soon directed at the female sergeant who was calling them from her car.

"Sir, what happened?! Why couldn't I reach you on the radio?!"

"Ahh sorry about that Shino-chan, I was having a heart to heart talk with my corporal. So what's wrong? Did you see something?" Hearing his voice over the radio seemed to calm her down.

"Well no but I couldn't reach either of you so I thought that the radio broke or something…." She trailed off her voice getting smaller as she continued.

John hummed as he explained to the sergeant. "Hmm I got it Shino-chan but next time don't yell like that, you'll end up waking everyone up. Instead just come over to our vehicles. It's better that way."

Getting an affirmative he turned his attention back towards the darkness that stood in front of him. It was going to be a long night of sitting sentry duty, well at least until someone else takes over.

* * *

"John! Wake up, damn it wake up! We've gotta go!"

Blinking the sleep away John wearily rubbed his eyes. "Wha-? What's going on?" Hopping out of his car he stumbled a bit before steadying himself. However all signs of exhaustion left him as he saw the scenery in front of him. In front of him was a dragon, a fire dragon to be precise with the large sea of fire from its mouth lighting up the otherwise dark sky.

The entirety of Recon Team 3 was looking on at the awesome display both in confusion and worry. Then abruptly as it came it flew away leaving behind a smoking forest in its wake.

"Hey I just remembered, wasn't the village we were going to hit in that direction?"

Eyes widening Itami ordered everyone to their cars. "Everyone to their vehicles, we moving out now!"

Responding in a quick manner the team scrambled to their cars. The roar of their engines soon filled the air as the vehicle sped out of the coil and began to follow the lead vehicle.

Within the lead car John looked back on his rear view mirror and saw the smaller headlights of the Japanese trucks following close behind.

'Huh guess they can keep up. Good for them.' He thought, somewhat impressed. He gripped the steering wheel tightly as they sped through the grass plains. It would take another few hours to reach the village and with every passing second the possibility of the fire dragon appearing increased, they needed to do this as quick as possible.

* * *

A few hours later:

It was early morning as they came up to the wrecked village. Standing at the burnt down entrance the recon team stared at the devastation that was in front of them.

Taking the first step forward Itami wordlessly walked into the village with his team following close behind. "Everyone spread out and look for survivors...if there is any." The last part had come out as nothing more than whisper. No one could deny the statement, the whole village was burnt down to the point where not even the buildings stood properly.

Minutes passed by in silence as the recon team combed through one blackened rubble after another. The silence was broken by Kurata who was looking down a well.

"Everyone! I've got a live one here at the well!" Abandoning whatever they were doing everyone ran towards the well. Itami was the first to reach Kurata and looking down the well he did indeed find a survivor. A blonde female who judging by the pointed ears was one of the elves that the village chief had mentioned. Finding Tomita next to him Itami grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Get the winch so we can pull her out." He ordered.

Tomita nodded wordlessly before he ran towards one of the trucks. Not a minute later the truck was in front of the well with the winch around Itami's his waist. With a loud clank the winch lowered the lieutenant into the deep well. As he a came up a short moment later Itami immediately placed the care of the elf into the hands of their medic.

Gently grabbing the unconscious elf Kurokawa lowered her down to the ground before checking the elf over for any injuries. She sighed in relief before she turned to Itami.

"For the most part she's alright. The biggest danger is her getting hypothermia in those wet clothes. Hurry so we can get her out of the wet clothes."

Itami nodded. "Right, Kurata go look in the trucks. If we have any spare clothes it'll be in there."

Giving him a brief affirmative Kurata quickly ran over to the trucks.

Seeing the retreating back of his driver Itami looked around for his Korean counterpart. Finding him Itami simply shook his head.

'Guess I didn't need to ask them.' He thought.

Following his gaze Kuribayashi and Pops looked at the Marines. They were spread out in a large perimeter that encircled the team with each Marine holding their rifles in a neutral position across their chests while kneeling on the scorched earth. As promised they were pulling security, even if it meant holding off at their impulse to crowd the elf.

'My rickety old bones feel safe with them as our security and support, unless that dragon attacks us. Well I don't know, these guys have all sorts of goodies in their trunks so maybe? Probably a SMAW tucked in there somewhere.' Pops thought to himself while rubbing his chin, in a way he felt a bit jealous at the freedom of deployment the Koreans embraced. From those fancy munitions and rockets to even nanobots, they had it all.

"What are you doing?" Their gaze turned away from the Marines to find a very unhappy medic.

Before anyone could give a proper retort she waved the small group away. "Shoo go away find something else to do or turn around and look away, I'm not letting you pervs see the poor girl naked." She bit back at them, arms crossed.

"Wow, didn't know Kurokawa had such a sharp tongue." Pops commented while turning around, he did not want to be on the receiving end of an angry medic.

With all the males turned around the medic began to undress the elf before putting the spare clothes on her. It was a bit of a tight fit but in the end she deemed it enough for now. Picking the unconscious elf up she carried her to the truck and gently laid her into the car before laying a blanket over her.

Rubbing the back of his neck Itami turned to the rest of the team. "Alright then let's head back to Coda Village to see if they can help her out." Following the order everybody jumped into their cars and headed back towards Coda Village.

* * *

It was just midday when the recon team reached the village. Unlike last time the team drove straight into the village, not caring for the surprised looks of the locals and stopped near the house of the village chief.

Getting out of his vehicle Itami approached the chief at a brisk pace. Looking on from their JLTV John and his squad mates looked on as the Japanese lieutenant conversed with the aged man.

Seeing the conversation Han Yoon spoke up from her seat besides John. "You think they'll take her in?"

"Don't see why not?" Jong Han commented from the back seat.

"Well she's an elf, makes me think if there's some prejudice against them." She reasoned.

"Maybe ther-" John stopped himself as he saw the villagers began to panic. Wondering what's going on the Marines jumped out of their JLTVs and made their way towards their Japanese commander.

"What's going on? Why are they packing up?" John asked while gesturing to the villagers.

Itami replied back in a stiff voice. "They're evacuating the village to avoid the fire dragon and apparently they have nowhere planned to go."

"So they're just gonna wander around and hope to not get caught by the dragon. Is that it?" He asked in an unbelieving tone.

Stepping forward Kurokawa locked eyes with her superior. "We're going to help these people right?" There was a hopeful undertone to her voice.

"As much as we can, yeah we are."

The next couple hours passed in a frenzy as the villagers scrambled to get their possessions on to the wagons. The whole process was made worse by some who tried to cram too much into the wagons, However despite the setbacks the village was soon lined up with horse-drawn wagons.

The large convoy of wagons began their escape with the recon team providing both security and extra manpower when needed.

What frustrated John and his Marines was the fact that Itami had ordered radio silence. Meaning this was going under the radar and without support or acknowledgement from Alpha. This meant they would be alone and without support if the dragon were to reappear.

With the current weapons in their arsenal they stood a chance at killing it, no doubt about it. The LRAD at its highest setting could hinder or maybe even halt the dragons movement entirely and the PDR along with the Panzerfaust and SMAW they had was hard hitting enough to possibly punch through the dragon scales. _Possibly_ being the key word, the type of dragon they saw was one of the small handful the invasion force had killed. It wasn't the kind the Imperial Army used but a much bigger, tougher and dangerous type, one that was dubbed Type-1. It was one that needed a tank round to put down which meant their anti-tank rockets may not be enough and yet Itami seemed confident.

No it wasn't safe to say he was frustrated, angry was a better word. For John, his job was to command his troops into danger while minimizing the threat to themselves. Maximum chance of success with minimal chance of failure or damage, it was a simple concept but this hodgepodge of a rescue op went completely against that and seeing the stalled convoy of wagons he reached the end of his patience.

"Alpha, this Checkmate 31 Actual. How copy over?" For everyone especially Itami who specifically ordered for radio silence the sudden radio call caught them off guard.

"This is Alpha, we copy."

"We are currently escorting a group of refugees that are under the threat of a nearby Type-1. Can we expect to receive support? Over."

There a was a short pause. "To clarify: Recon Team Three is currently engaged in escort of refugees that under threat of a Type-1. Over."

"Affirmative. Once more, interrogative: Can we expect support? Over."

"Negative on direct fire support, the area you're in is too far out for our MBTs to reach in time. However indirect fire Package Romeo is a go. Repeat, Package Romeo is a go."

"Roger that Alpha. Checkmate 31 Actual out." Ending the transmission he turned to face a furious Itami.

"What are you thinking?! I ordered for radio silence!"

"Well I'm thinking about keeping us alive since you keep forgetting that part." Seeing the still angry look he pressed on anyway. "Wanting to help the refugees is fine but at the potential cost of everyone in Recon Team 3? Need to think about this a bit Itami."

"I have thought about this. I ordered radio silence so that we could get the refugees back to HQ, where they'll be safe without the higher ups telling us otherwise. But now you may have ruined that John."

"Maybe." He admitted. "But at least we know that we've got something to kill the dragon."

"Our heavy weapons can-"

"Could. Our heavy weapons could kill the dragon, we don't know if it can." Taking a deep breath he let the anger slowly dissipate. "Itami I've gotta question, when you thought to have Recon Team 3 escort the refugees did you take into account the lives you're responsible for? As commander of this team everyone's lives are your responsibility and so far with the choices you made I don't know if I can trust you with my Marines."

"Of course I did, I wouldn't have asked for this otherwise." He defended himself.

"Really, did you? So you've thought about writing home letters of the deaths of Kuribayashi, Kurokawa, Tomita and everyone else?" The question seemed to surprise Itami.

"Well. No I haven't but-" Once more he was cut off.

"See that's the problem with you Japanese, never plan for the worst but always hope for the best." Seeing Itami open his mouth he continued. "Look at right now for example. What would you do if our heavy weapons didn't work? Hold it off while the civilians escape, then die? Well then dragon's gonna have a free meal afterwards won't it? Meaningless deaths that's what that is." He smacked the steering wheel for emphasis.

Frowning Itami retorted back. "But we may not even fight the dragon at all if we're lucky."

"But what makes you think command is going to accept them at all?" Itami fell silent at that. Indeed the biggest flaws in Itami's decision was that everything relied on chance, luck and an unknown decision.

There was a chance that the heavy weapons will succeed. They may get lucky and avoid the dragon. Then the ultimate decision goes to the generals, not the recon team. With Package Romeo in play, they now eliminated luck and chance leaving the decision to the higher ups. A much more sound plan in anyone's mind, including Itami.

Having nothing more to say Itami turned around walked back to his truck where Kurata was staring at the two in worry.

'And until you know how to use us effectively, I won't trust you with my Marines.' John thought while looking at Itami's retreating back.

"Well there goes your dick to ass relationship with Jappy over there." Of course Jong Han was always there to do well...him.

"I swear…." John growled out.

"What's that? Wanna fight? Well I hope you know that I'm special forces qualified bitch."

"I am too dipshit besides you know I'll kill your ass in a fight."

Hearing the conversation, Kim Han Yoon couldn't help but scoff in disbelief. "Oh please the day you two are "special forces qualified" is the day I fuck one of you two."

"Rock, paper, scissors?" John asked, his hands already in the ready position. Seeing Jong Han nod they began to play their game to see who would sleep with the female marksman.

"Best two out of three." A short moment later the winner was decided. Giving himself a pat on the back John gave the two a smug smile. Their little fun time was disrupted however by their grenadier contacting them on the net.

"Sir, you should probably turn towards the road about 50 meters out. There's umm…a person sitting there." Following the road they saw that a person was indeed sitting there, simply watching them.

John frowned as he looked on in slight confusion. "Huh...a gothic child, the hell is she doing here?"

"No John, I believe it's gothic lolita. Gotta love it man."

John looked at his friend with a raised eyebrow. "That's...a child down there you fucking pedophile."

Jong Han shrugged. "Hey if it's walking on two legs then-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Kim Han Yoon warned. Seeing the man shut his mouth she turned her attention back to the gothic lolita who was now making her way towards them. Well Itami to be precise.

"Well the kids seem to like her, can't be that bad." John observed from his car watching the friendly interaction between the two. Suddenly her eyes snapped to their location before she began sashaying to their JLTV.

"Well master, it's time to meet and greet, Korean style." Rolling her eyes at the comment Kim Han Yoon told her squad leader. "Don't do anything to scare the little girl, please."

"Bitch look at that, she has a giant halberd. She's got nothing to be afraid of." Jong Han scoffed.

He sighed as he opened the door. "Just cover me."

* * *

Intriguing was the first word that came to Rory's mind when she found the men in green. This went double for when she found the others, the ones in the dotted green uniform unlike the solid green of the first ones she met. As the Apostle of Emroy she had an ability or rather a sixth sense of sorts to feel the intent of people, more specifically the intent to kill.

They all held themselves as warriors, albeit showing it in different fashions but the ones in the dotted green were something else. Something more…animalistic in nature than simple intent to kill, especially the two beings inside the large iron contraption she was currently walking to.

She saw one of the two walk towards her in a slow and deliberate manner. Finding herself at chest level with the strange but intriguing warrior she found the man kneeling down, bringing both to eye level. Peeking over his shoulders she could see two other individuals pointing a strange black stick in her direction. A weapon perhaps?

The man referred to a book in his hands as he attempted to communicate with her. "Hello, how are you?"

Simply humming in response the demigod slowly circled the kneeling man, causing him to stand up and back off. Coming to a full stop she once again stared into his eyes or at least where she thought was his eyes, most of his face was covered in a strange black glass. Smiling she pointed at herself. "I am Rory Mercury, Apostle of Emroy."

After a moment of caution the man slipped the black glass into his helmet before slowly taking it off. As he cradled the helmet in his hand she saw the shaved head that laid underneath the helmet and piercing black eyes that was behind the black tinted glass. Smiling in return he mimicked the gesture. "I am Sergeant First Class John Lee of the Korean Armed Forces."

'John Lee hmmm? Interesting name.' The demigod thought. Her attention was soon replaced by the tan metal behemoth that stood behind them. Walking up to it she ran her hands along the metallic surface. To her everything about these people were a mystery, where they came from, their culture, their military and weapons. It was exciting to be in the midst of these people who were rapidly becoming one of her...interests.

Climbing to a seat Rory placed herself where the man, John Lee, was sitting beforehand. Looking around the interior she found herself being the center of attention of two others, a female and another male. Smirking she repeated her earlier introduction. "I am Rory Mercury and you are?"

The female introduced herself first, keeping her presumed weapon pointed at her. "Kim Han Yoon, good to meet you." Following afterwards was the male. "I'm Jong Han, they call me the man with a third leg." Cocking her head in confusion the demigod looked on as the male Jong Han, was smacked by the female.

'I wonder what he said?' She was turned around by a hand being placed her shoulder. Leaning against the door was John Lee, complete with his helmet.

"Umm get out please. I need to sit. Convoy moving, we move now." He pointed at the moving wagons, if they didn't move out now then they could be left behind. Understanding what he said Rory jumped out and made her way to the larger, more accommodating trucks in a brisk manner.

Returning to his seat and closing the door John drove the car in unison with the wagons. Which from the look of things would take most if not all day and there was also the worse case scenario of having to spend another night out with a fire breathing dragon lurking in the area. They definitely didn't want that but at the very least they had Package Romeo on their side, that ought to take care of the dragon quick. The only issue was keeping the dragon grounded until a targeting solution could be set.

"You see anything Jong Han?" He could hear the low whirring of the turret traversing.

"No, nothing yet...hold one." Tense seconds passed as Jong Han tried to find something that had briefly appeared on screen before vanishing. "Fuck I think we're being tailed."

"Type-1?"

They could hear a low grunt from the man, most likely from frustration. "Probably, I'd notify the others if i were you."

John nodded in agreement before contacting Itami and the rest of the team. "Hey guys, just wanna let you know that we had visual on something before it vanished. Most likely a type-1, everyone alert and hot. We're gonna make contact soon." At this point it was inevitable but the question was when?

* * *

"Contact! 11 o'clock high!" The radio call had the recon team reacting in a frenzy as all eyes turned upward to find the dragon coming at them from above with the sun behind it, making it difficult for a clean visual.

Sweeping down from above the flame dragon made a low sweeping pass as it let out a large stream of fire at the wagons, decimating nearly a third in a blink of an eye.

Responding to the attacking dragon everyone lit up the dragon with small arms fire however much like they expected the rifle and machine gun rounds were causing no effect on the tough scale of the dragon. The only effect was causing the beast to turn its attention to the recon team and not the refugees.

Within his JLTV John steered the vehicle erratically in efforts to dodge the streams of white hot fire coming from the mouth of the dragon. From a glance at his mirrors he found the rest of the team doing similar maneuvers. With the attention of the dragon away from the civilians he decided it was time to use the LRAD.

"Ready ear protection!' He yelled into the radio while swerving out of the way of a large plume of fire, wincing as he felt the heat through the open windows.

Immediately he heard a response from the 2nd JTLV. "Ear protection up!"

Itami's voice was then heard over the commotion. "All vehicles away from the Marines!"

He smiled, go time. "LRADs up and ready!

"Ready!"

"Fire!" As soon as the order was given he felt the JLTV rumble and shake as the air pressure around them spiked. For the briefest of moments he was left breathless as the heavy air pressure caused by the LRAD crushed his body. Despite it however he grit his teeth and continued maneuvering, although far less erratic than before.

Through his ear protection he heard the dragon roar as it felt and heard the incredibly loud blast of sound that reached a deafening 170 decibels.

At 170 decibels a normal human would die due to the intense increase in air pressure causing the lungs and possibly other vital organs to collapse. To a dragon while not quite as lethal, proved enough to prevent too much movement due to the sheer pain and disorientation. The fact that two of these devices were pointed at the dragon only made it worse for it as it felt the very bones inside its body vibrate intensely.

He heard Itami's voice over the radio. "Dragon immobile, batters out!" Batters, meaning the heavy hitters of the team.

Slamming on the brakes he pulled the car to an abrupt stop, causing them to jerk forward in response. Not wasting any time Jong Han pushed the door open before running out into the open. Never minding the two LRADs still hammering the dragon.

As John opened his door he found Kim Tae Ha crouching down to next to the 2nd JLTV with a SMAW over his shoulder. Turning around he found Jong Han crouching down in the open, next to Katsumoto who had a Panzerfaust 3 perched on top of his shoulder. He turned away before setting his gun up on the hood of his car.

Not wasting any time Jong Han fired off the rockets. "Count two! Rocket out!" He hollered over the loud sounds of the LRAD however just as he was about to fire a loud commotion broke the firing sequence.

Turning around they found the blonde elf, now conscious, out of the truck and staring at the dragon in terror. Screaming something that couldn't be understood over the sound cannons she was rapidly pulled back by the medic and Sergeant Kuribayashi. Turning his attention back to the menace Jong Han immediately got back on target. "Count two! Rocket out!" This time the firing sequence was completed as the upper half of the black container popped open over his shoulder. Orienting itself to the target two rockets flew out of the small tubes and straight into on of the wings blowing them apart, leaving the dragon grounded.

The dragon roared once again as it felt one of its wings get blown off by the two rockets.

Seeing the impact of the two rockets Katsumoto and Kim Tae Ha fired their rockets simultaneously at the arms of the fire dragon. Detonating successfully the upper region of the dragon was covered in smoke. Roaring in pain the fire dragon fell forward as it lost its balance. Hitting the ground with enough strength to cause a small tremor the dragon roared once more, both in pain and in defiance.

Turning off the LRAD in conjunction with his second in command John took off his ear protection, reached forward and pinched to sides of his laser designator. Knowing that the device was on he radioed HQ. "Alpha this is Checkmate 31 Actual. Painting Type-1, standby for Package Romeo. Over."

"Roger standing by." An invisible laser beamed down on the fire dragon.

"Target painted, fire one"

"Understood, firing one." A momentary silence filled the air before a loud zing was heard. In front of the humans the dragon seemingly flinched at nothing before it's chest area exploded into a gory mess. Off to the side the mystery weapon buried itself into the ground kicking up dirt and debris after it had blown through the body of the now dead dragon.

"Target neutralized Alpha, good shot."

"Roger. RTB as soon as you can."

"Understood, Checkmate 31 Actual out." Ending the radio call he walked towards the vehicles. Turning the laser designator off he gave his childhood friend a fist bump. "Good job, you didn't screw up for once."

Jong Han scoffed. "You're just jealous that I stole your spotlight."

"I think not. If you recall I was the one who called in Package Romeo. Therefore I got the last shot in, so in the end. I get the spotlight again."

"Hey fuck boy, it was guy controlling the damn railgun that got the last shot in, not you."

"Technicality."

"Fuck your technicality."

"Go ahead, I'll be fucking our lovely marksman while you do that." John said while walking away, not even giving Jong Han the common courtesy for a rebuttal.

As he joined the group of celebrating soldiers he found Kuribayashi all too close to his face.

"Sir, what was that?! I didn't even see what happened and-" Further talk from the excited sergeant was cut off by John's fingers pinching her lips.

"Railgun." He said simply. Hearing a muffled reply he shushed her by slightly increasing the force of the pinch. "Now I know you're excited but calm down, you can ask more later, okay?" Seeing her nod he let go of her lips. "Right then, where's that blonde elf?"

"What about Chuka?" Kurokawa questioned.

"That her name? Chuka?"

"Yes, her full name is Chuka Luna Marceau and I would advise you that seeing her right now isn't the best idea." Seeing the unsatisfied face of the Korean squad leader she elaborated. "She's still taking everything in, her destroyed village, being the sole survivor and now the dead dragon." She then pointed to Chuka who was leaning against the truck staring at the dragon corpse with a vacant look.

Accepting the medics reasoning albeit somewhat reluctantly John let the issue go. He could talk to her later, for now their attention needed to be on the refugees. Currently they were celebrating the death of the fire dragon. Why wouldn't they? Now with the threat of the dragon gone they could return to their normal lives back in the village.

Looking on with a satisfied smile Recon Team 3 let them have their moment. After all they themselves felt relieved that the refugees could return to Coda Village. One of the biggest problems Recon Team 3 faced was whether or not the refugees would be accepted into HQ but now they didn't have to worry about that.

In their eyes this was mission accomplished.

* * *

"Worst luck in the world." Hyung Ben commented not caring if anyone heard him or not.

"Got it in one Hyung Ben." Kim Tae Ha piped up from besides him. Rubbing the back of his head he sighed as he took in the scenery in front of him.

"I want to facepalm myself for thinking this would be so easy." Kuribayashi mumbled.

"Well why don't you Shino-chan?" John asked to the small sergeant.

"Because I feel like if I do then I'll end up crying."

"Tears make the best lube." Of course Jong Han couldn't help but butt in too.

She gave him a scathing look. "What's wrong with you?"

"Everything Kuribayashi, everything. But don't forget John, he's just as bad as I am."

"Only when I'm on my period." John retorted not really thinking about what he just said. The scene in front of him simply too much.

In front of everyone including the villagers was Coda Village, except with one major difference, it was on fire. The buildings were starting to fall apart indicating that the fire had been going on for a lengthy period of time. So far the only conclusion they came up with was bandits. Truth be told it was really the only option here unless there was another fire dragon. They really hoped it was the former.

However the village chief took it the hardest as seen by the blank look on his face. Turning around he stumbled back to the rest of the villagers.

"Damn it." Cursed Itami while looking at the once more homeless villagers. The events of the past couple days were beginning to wear down the Japanese lieutenant and it didn't help that by the time they had reached the village night had fallen.

For a while they stared at the flames that covered Coda Village. After some time their attention turned to the chief who had returned.

"As much as it pains me to say this, we'll be in your care once more." The older man lowered his head in apology. Seeing that the entirety of Recon Team 3 was focused on him he pressed on. "We have decided that we would head to a town we know and settle there, they owe us a couple favors anyway."

"How far?" Itami questioned. The answer he received was one that he frowned at.

"It would take about 5 days, the most treacherous part would be the mountains but it's a journey that we've done before. However the journey is too much for the elderly and the children who lost their family during the attack. So I ask that you take them in. I know it's selfish of me to ask such a thing when you've done so much for us but it's imperative that they survive, especially the children."

Taking a glance at John Itami made his decision. "It's no problem. We'll keep them safe and give them a good place to live."

Breathing out a loud sigh the chief thanked the soldiers. "Thank you for everything you've done today, we wouldn't be alive without your help." Taking a step back he gave a short bow. "So for the last time, we'll be in your care for the night." Having finished his request he walked back towards his people who were setting up a temporary camp.

"Well I guess we'll be pulling sentry duty again. So anyone want first watch?" Itami called out.

Stepping forward John was the first to volunteer again. "I can do first watch again." To him this was the best option. Do the first couple hours and sleep for the rest.

"I can do it too!" Raising her hand in an excited manner Kuribayashi volunteered after the Korean sergeant, eager to try and impress the Marines.

"I'm not too tired so I guess I can do it too." Unlike the diminutive sergeant Kurokawa volunteered in her usual calm manner. Now with three people on watch duty the rest of the recon team went back to their vehicles and fell asleep. Though very few if any slept comfortably. Recent events with the dragon and now the burning village had put everyone on edge.

* * *

The refugees packed up early in the morning to make their way to the town that they were going to. As soon as the tents were put up the larger party broke off heading towards the mountains off in the distance. Now in the care of Recon Team 3 the parentless children and elderly were pulled along in their wagons by the two SDF trucks. Only a small handful actually got to ride with the recon team as most of the space was taken up by the soldiers.

One of them was the Apostle of Emroy as she squeezed into the usually vacant fourth seat of the lead JLTV. Her halberd was surprisingly missing as it was placed in the trunk. It was something that nearly gave her enough reason to switch to Itami's more spacious truck which already was carrying the elf and blue haired sorceress who identified herself as Lelei La Lelena. Of course she didn't mind that throughout the ride, the man named Jong Han had his weapon pointed at her. She didn't feel offended by the precautionary measure. So despite having to relinquish her precious halberd for the time being she found that the time she spent talking to the warriors, Korean Marines as they called themselves, were well spent. As she had guessed beforehand the invasion force was comprised of two nations. What she didn't he know but found out was that the main force here was Japanese military, the Self Defense Force. The Korean military only numbered about a third of what the Japanese brought.

"If i may, just what exactly is a "Marine"? It's the first time I've heard some a warrior by that name."

John frowned at the question. Not because he didn't know but rather he didn't know how to word it properly. His vocabulary in the language spoken by the natives was rather small. "Hmm, Marines are...naval infantry. Soldiers who can attack from the seas."

"Naval infantry? Sounds interesting...but why isn't the regular army here? Surely a force focused on naval assault shouldn't be here where open water is scarce."

He let out a smile. "Marines are elite infantry, better trained than army. Better choice for this kind of mission."

"I see...and what about the Self-Defense Force? Why are they called that?" It strange to her, why would a army such as theirs would have the name Self-Defense Force? It had a rather negative connotation.

"They...lost war long ago. Winner say they have only enough to defend themselves. Can't declare war."

Her eyes narrowed as she processed the information. That was certainly surprising because that meant there was a nation, a group of warriors stronger and better than the Japanese. She couldn't wait to meet them sometime in the future. "I see and I'm guessing Korea is allies with the Japanese since you're here with them." In a supportive role too considering the numerical difference.

To her surprise the Koreans mood darkened at the question. Finally after a moment of silence Kim Han Yoon spoke up. "Somewhat true, bad past together. Trying to better relations."

"We're finally here." John said suddenly.

True to his words as they crested over a small hill they found the star shaped base, now bristling with high tech weaponry. An amazement for the natives of the Special Region who had never seen such a sight.

Pointing to a large particular structure John explained to Rory the purpose of said structure.

"See that? It's the weapon that killed the dragon. Yeah all the way from here. Pretty amazing when you think about it."

The demigod hummed in thought. 'This was most definitely the most fun I've had in years. Makes me wonder what kind of future lays in front of us.' She licked her lips. 'I can't wait.'

Now in front of the opening large entrance they waited for the moment they could pass through. With a loud clang the entrance gates fully opened up for the returning recon team. Driving through the natives of the Special Region looked in awe of the structures and movement of machinery. It was here surrounded by the otherworldly equipment that they realized that this was their new life. One that would make their memories of their old life fade away into nothingness.

* * *

Clicks: Means kilometers. So 5 clicks equal 5 kilometers. I have seen a few people write it as klick which makes sense in that it matches with the military phonetic alphabet but for now, I'll stick with click.

RTB: Return To Base, pretty self explanatory.

On a final note, hopefully I portrayed the difference in between the SDF and ROK Marines well enough. My goal was to show the general inexperience of the SDF when compared to the Koreans and overall difference in the way they think, operate and act. I feel like I did it pretty well but maybe I'm just being delusional, who knows.


	4. Italica

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and all rights go to their respective owners. Now I know that doesn't sound very professional but honestly everyone knows what I mean anyway. Most people on this site and by most I mean like 99.99% know the copyright stuff by now. This is a fanfic website after all.

Good god, I sounded like an ass just now. Oh well too lazy to delete that.

Anyway I'll make this brief. The last couple weeks has been hectic for me. Which is why this chapter came out nearly 2 and half weeks late. Basically what happened was MEPS or Military Entrance Processing Station. I do believe that's what it stands for. Anyone wanting to join the military, US anyway, has to go through MEPS which is two days. First day is ASVAB testing which is a pain but easy, got a 77. YAY! But meh, I'm picking Infantry anyway. Don't need too high a score for that. The second day is your physical examination which takes forever. Really I was waiting 1 or 2 hours between every examination. Geez and know the funny thing? The station I was at (Not sure for other stations) was run by majority civilians. There was only 2 doctors and that was for when I had to "Drop your boxers and bend over." Not even joking. Fondle my balls tell me cough and then check my….you get the idea.

Oh hell that wasn't brief at all…..

ON TO THE STORY

* * *

Lieutenant General Hazama was not having a good day. Rather it was better to say that the last 36 odd hours or so has been absolute shit. Why? Well partly because of the fact that every decision he made would be scrutinized by the 5 UN military advisors present in Alpha. Their reports would then go to the UN and if they decide that the current invasion force was unsatisfactory then everything they had done so far did would've been for nothing. Replaced by a UN Coalition and then thrown out.

However this wasn't too much of an issue. He along with Brigadier General Bak Myun Jie have been getting used to the constant watch of the advisors and have been working around them. What the main issue here was the fact that Recon Team 3 in its infinite wisdom had decided to bring a small handful of refugees from Coda Village to HQ, without permission. The general didn't know if Itami had predicted the outcome beforehand but by doing this he had effectively tied his hands.

There was no way they could toss the orphaned children and elderly out without severe repercussions but keeping them could be just as bad as the advisors could see this a hostage situation where the refugees would be forced to stay. Of course most people would look at this as an act of benevolence. After all what was bad about providing food, clothing and shelter to refugees? Well nothing really except that all the advisors were from the five permanent security council nations. Of which two of them, Russia and China were originally against the joint operation. Meaning they could already be planning to hinder the operation from progressing further. Hopefully the US, British and French representatives were kinder, hopefully.

Looking at the mountain of paperwork the Japanese general sighed. "Too much shit in too little time." He thought. Turning back to his desk opened one of the drawers. Inside was a small bottle of sake, Junmai to be precise. He looked at it longingly for short time before snapping back to the bigger task at hand, paperwork. With another sigh he restarted the hell that was paperwork.

* * *

While the good general was busy slaving away, Recon Team 3, who was responsible for said generals plight was in the cafeteria. With the exception of Itami who had been missing for a while. Everyone was present with a tray of food in front of them.

"Does anyone know where Itami went?" Kim Tae Ha asked after taking a drink of water. He along with the rest of the Marines were eating their usual Korean cuisine. It was a hearty meal consisting of proteins, carbs, whole wheats, and vegetables. A just about perfect meal for a soldier.

"Itami-san? Last I saw him was in his office. Busy doing paperwork and such." Kurata hummed in thought. "But that should be done by now, wonder what's taking him so long?"

"Probably watching his "precious" Mei Com since we've got internet connection now." Kuribayashi mumbled while finishing her meal. She never did like the otaku subculture that Japan was known for.

"Aww there's nothing wrong with Mei Com." Defended Kurata.

She simply gave him small grunt in response before standing up to put away her empty tray. Following her actions Bun Jung Hua walked after her with his own empty tray.

As silent as ever the Marine walked out the cafeteria after putting away his tray.

"Hey where are you going? Stay a while will you?" John asked. Honestly could the guy could afford to talk a bit more. Communication and all that good stuff.

He replied with barely a glance. "I'm busy."

For a moment John stared at his second in command with a blank look. "You know, this is the first time you've given me the "I'm busy" response. Means we're making headway into giving you a fucking personality." He shooed the man away with his hand. "Go do your thing man, I won't pry."

Nodding in response Bun Jung Hua resumed his trek to whatever his destination was. Seeing the door close behind the quiet man they resumed their meal.

"So giving him a personality? What was that about?" Pops finally asked. Genuinely curious as to why John would say that. He didn't see anything wrong with the sergeant, perhaps a bit on the quiet side but nothing really wrong with that.

"The guy is boring as shit. Doesn't really talk, keeps his emotions under wraps and in general doesn't communicate with the squad despite being second in command. So yes it's a little project of mine to give the guy some personality and get him to talk some more."

Pops didn't seemed convinced. "Doesn't really seem right trying to change a person like that."

Kim Han Yoon added in her two cents. "Normally I'd agree with you but Bun Jung Hua is our second in command. He needs to be able to understand the way we function as Marines to maximize our abilities in combat." And she was right. Both squad leader and second in command needed to have a complete understanding on how each person in their squad worked. This was especially important as soldiers of the Korean military which favored the use of tactics revolving around smaller units. A very squad and platoon based mindset that differed from their American ally which usually put an emphasis on larger unit deployments.

"If you say it like that…." Pops trailed off. He couldn't say anything with a reason like that. For a while no one said anything as they ate their meals, relaxing in the comfortable environment.

"Wonder how the refugees are doing?" Hyung Ben asked, taking a break from eating. The question was perhaps more to himself than anyone else but it had nonetheless been heard by everyone present.

"You mean like if they enjoy living here?" Kim Tae Ha asked in return.

He shrugged in response. "Yeah, just wondering that's all."

Kurokawa who had been silent thus far spoke up. "I think they're happy here. They've got all their necessities taken care of. Plus if they don't like it here then the doors are open for them to walk out." Though she didn't really want that. They were safer here in Alpha.

"Yeah good point. Wonder what they're doing right now." Hyung Ben turned to his squad leader. "Sir do you know? You're pretty close to them."

"Why would you say that?" John grumbled, somewhat annoyed that he couldn't enjoy his meal in peace.

"Well you let that gothic child ride with you. Figured you'd have a reason."

"The reason why I let the girl sit in my car is that we...talked after the dragon was killed. It wasn't much but I got a decent grasp of who she was."

Jong Han cut into the conversation. "A so-called demigoddess and Apostle of Emroy. A god of war, violence and death. Apparently she also has a sense of justice since she avoids indiscriminate killings and focus on the bandits and criminals."

"Yeah and who asked you?" John grumbled back.

"I'm omnipotent, don't need to be asked."

"Right and I'm Buddha."

"Certainly have the body of one."

"Could you two please not do this now, especially in front of the Japanese." Kim Han Yoon pleaded. She had around the two long enough to know where that conversation was headed and it was nowhere good.

"Fine whatever we'll finish this later then. Now back on topic." Getting comfortable John leaned backwards, stretching his back. "Now of course a simple talk isn't enough to figure out if she was friendly or not but I saw how the locals reacted to her. Called her Oracle and gave nothing but praise, figured if they love her so much then she couldn't be bad."

"And if she was hostile?" Hyung Ben asked.

"Her halberd was placed in the trunk so her primary weapon was out, leaving her hands and nothing else. We made sure of that." He then thumbed towards his childhood friend. "Plus he had his gun pointed at her the whole way."

"And how did she react to that?" Kurokawa asked not really liking that they held a child at gunpoint. But then again that "child" was over 900 years old, or so she claimed.

He shrugged. "She didn't care, probably something with the whole apostle thing."

"Sir about that….do you think that she's actually a demigod?" Hyung Ben's question was something that had been on everyone's mind.

"If it was our world than no but this is the Special Region. Who knows what may exist here. Magic is real along with elves so who's to say Emroy isn't real too?" At this they all let out a collective sigh. They could already imagine the response of the people from their world.

* * *

Unlike his quiet second in command, John didn't have a set destination when he stepped out of the cafeteria. So for a while he just wandered around the relatively peaceful base before reaching the area of the housing for the refugees. The area was quiet as it lacked the constant sounds of heavy machinery in the background that was present everywhere else. Usually in the form of tanks, vehicles and the movement of supplies.

Strolling through the recently raised houses he was soon greeted with the very person that had ridden his JLTV only a couple days prior.

Like the last time he saw Rory, she was in her gothic lolita outfit or priestess outfit as she had corrected him and accompanied by her large halberd. She was leaning on one of the tables that was set outside. Sitting at the table was the elf they had picked up, Chuka and another girl that rode with Itami. Lelei if John remembered correctly.

As he got closer he saw Chuka direct the attention of the other two females in his direction. Seeing their attention on him he waved in greeting. Ambling over to the table he pulled out one of the chairs and sat down.

"So what brings you here?" Rory asked after he had sat down on the table.

"Nothing really, wandering around and I found myself here." John explained after taking a drink from a water bottle.

"..." Seeing the elf fidget in her seat John in his usual manner "gently" pushed her to speak her mind.

"If you have an issue with me being here then just say so Chuka." His blunt tone didn't seem to help any.

"No! I….don't have an issue it's just…." She trailed off as she lost her words.

Lelei spoke up in an all too familiar monotone voice, much to John's annoyance. "She's worried about how to repay for the food and shelter we were given. She thinks we'll have to sell our bodies."

With his attention on the blue haired girl, he found her staring at him with another all too familiar blank look. "I swear if this girl and Bun Jung Hua had sex it would be the most tasteless sex known to man." He thought to himself though he still kept a straight face.

"Right, well Chuka," He turned his attention back to the elf. "There's no need to worry about it. You won't have to repay us for anything. I can promise that much." He said trying to put to the elf at ease.

Despite his attempts Chuka didn't seem too convinced as she rubbed her arms in discomfort. "But….it doesn't seem right. Itami killed the fire dragon and got everyone to safety." They jumped in surprise as John suddenly smashed his head onto the table.

"John?" Rory asked tentatively slowly reaching for his shoulder. She gently patted his shoulder, whatever was bothering him must have been something serious. Ohh if only.

"It's just that…Itami didn't do shit." He groused. "I mean I was the one who called in the strike that killed it. I was the one who decided having support from the base was the best idea. I was in charge that day." The slow patting ceased causing John to lift his head only to find it smashed back onto the table by none other than Rory.

"That's your reasoning for smacking your head against a table?!" She growled holding the back of his head and repeating the process once more.

"Ow! Damnit, don't do that!" His muffled voice spoke up. Bracing his arms against the table he tried to pick himself up. However he found himself unable to move. "The fuck….I can barely lift my face. What the fuck kinds of steroids is this bitch on?" He thought to himself in surprise. With a grunt he flexed his arms once more only experience the same results as the last time. The best he could manage was to tilt his head to the left side of his face which enabled him to speak clearly.

"Hey Rory...why are you so strong? Like please give me some of what you're taking." Seeing how she wasn't budging he changed tactics. "I need some love here Rory. Where's that peaceful girl that sat in my car?" He asked in a teary eyed manner.

"She never existed." Rory told him bluntly while idly twirling her halberd with her lone remaining hand. Reminding him just who she was.

"Damnit one of you help me please." He turned to begging the two remaining females who were watching the spectacle in front of them with varying degrees of emotions. Suddenly he found the magicians face in front of his own.

"John Lee." She said in her monotone voice.

"Yeah that's me, don't wear out the name." He grunted out as he looked at her. Or tried to at least with Rory's hand still pressing down on him.

"Why is your name so different than the rest?" The question seemed to throw everyone for a loop, except John who simply let out a groan.

Cocking her head sideways in curiosity Rory asked Lelei. "What do you mean?" With her attention temporarily diverted the pressure on John's head weakened, allowing him to force himself upright.

"Ever since I arrived here I've talked to both the SDF and Korean soldiers. Their names are different than yours." Her statement had gotten a short whistle of amazement from John.

"Wow Lelei, pretty smart of you to actually notice that despite being here for only two days." He was impressed with the small magician. The girl was smart, perhaps even dangerous. "Now if only this girl would show some emotion." He silently groused to himself. He really didn't want to deal with another Bun Jung Hua in his life.

"So?"

John sighed as he found the expectant looks of the three females. "Do I have to? I mean it's not really important now is it?" He asked in desperation.

"Yes you have to and yes it's important." Rory insisted.

"But John is what I go b-" He cut himself off as he found the oppressive gazes of the females that surrounded him. He opened and closed his mouth, trying to come up with an excuse but coming up with nothing.

Sighing in resignation he gave them the answer. "Fine why not? I was born in a different country so when I was born I was given two names. One of them is my Korean name and the other is the name you guys know me by."

Chuka seemed to perk up at that. "Another country?"

"Yeah, the United States of America. They're one of Korea's closest allies and one of their military advisors are here on base."

"How's their military?" Rory asked.

"Is military the only thing she's interested in?" John thought to himself. Well she was the Apostle of Emroy so perhaps that had something to do with it. Maybe, he put his money on her being born that way than anything else.

"They're number 1 in the world, have been for a long while. And that's all I'm gonna say about them, you can ask the others if you want more."

Nodding at the answer Lelei pressed on. "So what's your Korean name?"

"Not gonna tell you, it's private well kind of."

Chuka backed off a bit. "Is it a cultural thing?" She didn't want to overstep her bounds if she could help it.

"No." He paused as he took a drink. "I use the word private loosely. My government recognizes me with my Korean name, in fact a good number of people know my Korean name. It's quite literally pinned on my uniform. Even so everyone still calls me John, they're used to that. Now in a formal ceremony they'll use my Korean name but otherwise just about everyone calls me John."

The girls nodded in understanding. If that's what he wanted then.

A moment later Jong Han was seen jogging towards them.

"Hey what's going on?" John asked in a worried manner as he saw the serious face of his best friend.

"The Brigadier General is calling Checkmate Company to attention at the PT area." Jong Han pointed towards the place where Checkmate Company would gather.

John stood up and rolled his shoulders. "Why? We did our PT this morning."

"I don't think it's about PT. I heard rumors that it's going to be an announcement of some sort."

Seeing as they weren't going to get an answer by guessing they immediately departed for the area.

"See you later!" John yelled as he briefly turned around to wave at the females.

* * *

It didn't take long before the entirety of Checkmate Company was formed up in front of the veteran general. The company stayed silent as they waited on the general who was pacing back and forth on a raised platform.

The area was silent as it was cordoned off by Marines from other units though not even they knew what was going on. Whatever was going down was serious enough to warrant security force. John didn't know how to feel about that.

They saw the veteran take a deep breath. "Who knows the primary reason why we Koreans came here?" The question was sudden and caught the Marines off guard. It took a moment before one of the Marines raised their hands and spoke up.

"Sir, it was to support the JSDF and use the joint operation as an opportunity to further improve relations between the Republic of Korea and the state of Japan."

"Wrong. Try again." For a minute no one stepped forward to answer the question. Seeing how no one was answering the general stopped his pacing and faced them head on. "People wondered "Why the hell is Korea doing this when they've got their hands full with integrating the northern provinces?" And so we said it's a good opportunity to improve relations with Japan." He snorted. "And people actually bought that, including you Marines so I guess we did a good enough job at covering our intent."

In a much louder voice he continued. "No Marines, we're here because this backwards ass world harbors several….opportunities for us. One of which is linked to the use of slaves. In fact this Empire loves slaves so much that they attack weaker countries to get them, case in point the Warrior Bunny Tribes 3 years ago. It goes without saying that we'll rectify that issue very soon. And I guess if you fools feel generous then being here under the banner of helping this culturally shit hole of an empire is equally good. We're used to reversing a backwards culture after all."

"However whatever your justification is, it's being overshadowed by the simple fact that the lovely politicians up above thought that this is a good opportunity to finally have a leg up on the Japanese. They think this is the time to finally overtake the Japanese, the vengeful bastards." Not that he could really talk since he didn't have a high opinion of the Japanese either.

Not caring or not noticing the hypocrisy of his last statement he continued onwards. "They said to "win the hearts and minds of the natives and the gold will follow." Now make no mistake we're not asking you to treat the natives as if they're Koreans. They're not your countrymen and they most certainly aren't your comrades in arms. But I expect that you treat them as you would treat any other human being. Understand?"

The Marines responded back smartly and loudly. "Yes sir!"

"This your Pyongyang ladies." He said referring to the Reunification War. "But it's a Pyongyang that isn't won through war but through the hearts and minds of the natives. Here in the Special Region, war is nothing but a tool for the endgame so don't fuck up."

"Yes sir!" In unison they snapped to a salute.

"Good! Now dismissed! Return to your posts and await further orders." Responding with his own salute the general dismissed Checkmate Company.

Seeing the company disperse the general's adjutant spoke up for the first time. "Sir, are you sure informing Checkmate Company first was the best option? They're arguably the most involved with the Japanese, it may hinder operations further down the line."

"Don't worry it'll be fine. Besides these guys have the most experience with the locals." He took a swig from a canteen, seemed like all the talking had dried up his throat. "4 out of the 6 recon teams have Marines from Checkmate after all."

"I see...then by your orders."

"...You're too damn formal with his shit."

His adjutant gave a small smirk. "Well someone has to sir."

"Hah! Can't deny that." He took another swig. "Well...things are heating up. Which means more fighting. These guys better be prepared for some more combat against the Imperials or whatever else that's stupid enough to fight a ROK Marine." And he wasn't too far off in his prediction.

* * *

"Well that was unexpected." Hyung Ben commented offhandedly while walking alongside his squad mates.

"Understatement of the year buddy." Tim Tae Ha mumbled besides him. The announcement had come as a shock to the Marines who up until this point had thought their primary role was to support the JSDF. Now they were going to take steps to do the complete opposite.

"Our Pyongyang huh?" Everyone's attention turned to their squad leader. He walking with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Don't like it?" Jong Han asked although he already knew the answer from the subtle almost unnoticeable gestures. Being around a person for nearly 20 years tended do that.

"Yeah...this isn't the best time to start competing with the SDF. Our resources are stretched thin as is with the integration of the northern provinces but now this?" It seemed too ambitious in their current state.

"Probably means our military presence is going to expand soon. High chance of seeing F-35s and some heavier gear soon."

"Does that mean they're going to put Project Alive on hold?" Hyung Ben asked in an upset tone. Helping their own people should be a priority over trying to one up the Japanese but the politicians seemed to think otherwise.

"Probably not, doing so would send the public into flying rage. The project is pretty much unanimously supported by all, few people are actually against it. At worst they'll decrease the amount of resources going into it and focus more on the Special Region." Reasoned Kim Tae Ha. He didn't want the complete halting of Project Alive either. Koreans were Koreans after all, didn't matter if they were from the south or north.

"So...what's our next move?" Kim Han Yoon asked while walking besides John.

He shook his head. "Don't know, we'll have to wait for Itami to tell us when we're moving out." Personally he was still on the fence about the guy.

"I just wanna get some action." Jong Han sighed.

"What's got you so excited?"

Turning to face the female marksman he answered back with a large smile. "Well you see the 707th Battalion is waiting for me and-"

"Oh shut up, you're not going to be a White Tiger anytime soon." Jong Han looked at the female in a mixture of feigned hurt and sadness.

"Wha...how could you doubt my words?" Slapping his hand over his heart in a dramatic manner he continued. "I am forever a badass and as such they, the good fellows in the special warfare command, decided that I'm special ops material."

"Didn't take you for a liar." She loosely replied not believing that the least motivated member of the squad could be counted as special ops material. Seriously the guy quite happily counted down the days of his contract. The only reason why he was still in the military after his mandatory 2 years was because he thought the military life "wasn't too bad" only to complain a week later that he wanted out. Ridiculous. No way he was spec ops. She firmly believed that.

"In case I forgot to tell you, which I probably did, the two of us passed the 10 day entrance period. After we finish here in the Special Region we go do our one year of training." John added in, completely destroying Kim Han Yoon's train of thought.

"What?" She asked in pure disbelief. "Wait so about…." She trailed off not finding the words to say or not wanting to hear herself admitting her thoughts.

John picked up where she left off in absolute glee. "Yeah about that "The day you're spec ops material I'll fuck one of you." Well let me say this….it's gonna happen. Not today or tomorrow or next week but someday it will."

She shook her head in denial, she couldn't honestly care less about that. It was just that..."How the hell were you two picked?! You two aren't anything special!" She didn't want to believe it, that the two idiots of her squad would even be considered to join the elites of the Korean military.

"Well…" Jong Han stopped himself as he looked at John in confirmation. For a moment they locked eyes before John simply shrugged in response.

"Riiight, well as I was saying, our teacher...no I guess mentor is a better word. Yeah, our mentor used to be a drill instructor for the 707th and taught us some basic stuff. Things like CQC, SERE and later on helped us get parachute qualified. Not sure if that matters though since nobody really knows how people are picked for the 707." Not like he really cared about that. All he cared about was that he was given a chance to become a 707, finally something worthwhile from the military.

Finding out that they were taught by a special forces instructor was the final nail in the coffin as she threw her hands up in resignation and began walking away in a brisk manner.

John cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted after her, chuckling all the while. "Go take nap! It'll make you feel better!" Hearing the shout she turned around and gave him the finger before stomping away.

* * *

Sitting on her bed Kim Han Yoon thought over what had happened several minutes before. The thought of those two in the coveted black beret was enough to give her a headache.

It wasn't as if she hated them, gods no, quite the opposite. John had been there for her since basic, supporting her decision to go against the wishes of her parents in joining the Marines. She knew he was a good guy, somewhat...off when around Jong Han sure but a good guy nonetheless. The problem was that she couldn't see what those in the ROKA-SWC saw in John and Jong Han.

She could admit from watching the two fight both off and on the battlefield that they were a cut above the average Marine. But it was their attitude that was confusing her. They for the most part carried themselves in a relaxed manner, a bit too relaxed in her opinion.

They did just enough not to get in trouble, flying under the radar. It was only after Ginza that they, along with the squad, started to gain the watchful eyes of the higher ups.

"So what the hell makes them special ops material?" She grumbled to herself. A 707 no less. The elite of the elite, guys who were the best Korea could offer.

In the back of her mind she also feared what would become of the squad once John left. For the past 4 years he had been a constant presence within the squad, he had become someone that she trusted absolutely and she wasn't sure if she could say the same for Bun Jung Hua.

The man came from a military family yet he didn't want a military life. He didn't do anything bad or slacked off but she could tell that the sergeant wanted out. He stayed in due to pressure from his family to have a military life, a life he didn't want. It was because of this mentality that she was bit leery of having Bun Jung Hua as her squad leader.

She let out a sigh. "I'll deal with that when the time comes." It was all she could do really in the grand scheme of things.

For a while she rested on her bed, relaxing. Her eyes began to droop when there was a knock on the door. Shaking her head to try and get rid of the drowsiness she opened the door, revealing to be the medic of Recon Team 3, who was in full combat gear.

"Oh sorry, did I wake you?" Kurokawa asked seeing the slightly sluggish movement of the Marine.

"Hmm? No just relaxing." She replied. "Why? Did something come up?"

"Yes, I'll tell you as we walk." Receiving a nod, Kurokawa led the female marine away from her room.

"Lelei wanted to sell the scales from the dragons we killed during the first couple days." She paused as she let the Korean sergeant catch up. "We're going to escort Lelei to Italica, a trading town. There she'll sell the dragon scales and then we'll RTB."

"A pretty simple op by the sound of things." Kim Han Yoon commented while stretching her arms.

She nodded. "Yes, if all goes to plan then we should be back at around 2100 hours." By now they had reached the armory for Checkmate. Stepping ahead of the Japanese medic Kim Han Yoon pressed her thumb into a scanner. With short beep the door was unlocked. She began walking into the armory when she saw the hesitant look of Kurokawa.

"Come on in, no will care." She held the door as she ushered the her friend in.

"Is it okay for me to be in there? A lot of stuff you guys use seem delicate-"

She waved off the assertion. "Oh please if the equipment we use is delicate then it'd be broken by now." Marines weren't gentle after all.

"...Okay." Kim Han Yoon simply rolled her eyes at Kurokawa who seemed to treat the armory as if it was some forbidden laboratory.

"Just follow me to my locker, it'd be quick I promise." The trip only took a moment as they came up on Kim Han Yoon's designated locker which was quite big, about twice the size of a typical locker in high school. Once more she pressed her thumbs onto a small scanner opening the locker with another small beep.

Seeing the locker door open Kurokawa was treated to the sight of the full arsenal of a ROK Marine Marksman. A carbine version of the K2 assault rifle and beside it was a sniper rifle, a bolt action rifle, much to Kurokawa's surprise.

Marksmen generally carried semi automatic rifles designed around their combat roles, they weren't snipers after all. Sharpshooter was a better word for them. The actual snipers, ones who could actually say "Yes I'm a sniper" got the most accurate rifles, which were almost always bolt action rifles.

"A bolt action huh...didn't know Korean marksmen were given those kinds of guns." She sounded curious. Did Korea really have the ability to give every Marksman a bolt action?

"Thank North Korea for that." The answer surprised Kurokawa, the war was 12 years ago, over decade. "North Korea used a lot of snipers, kinda like the Russians. They had a sniper for almost every squad and we realized after Iraq and Afghanistan the value of a single sniper. So when the bombs started dropping again we managed to hold our own against their snipers and we've kept the formula of a sniper per company ever since."

Cradling the rifle close her chest she continued. "Not saying I am one but if need be I can take on that role to an extent. That's the point in me having this gun along with that bino over there." She pointed at a high tech binocular that was resting on top of her rucksack. She then reached over and pulled out her empty rucksack. Leaving the empty bag on the floor she began pulling on her combat vest.

Wiggling her vest to make sure it was on tight she began stuffing her vest with the 30 round magazines that went with her carbine. She gently tossed the 6th magazine in her hands for a bit, confusing the medic.

"What's wrong?"

"Deciding if 6 mags is good enough for a light operation." Not need to carry 9 magazines like they did during their first excursion out in the Special Region.

"I see…" She mumbled. Honestly she always carried 7 mags plus one in the rifle, it was the magic number in her opinion. Besides they had extra ammo stored in their trucks.

The marksman hummed for a bit before shoving it into one of her pouches, bringing the total to 6 magazines counting the one currently loaded in. She then slid 4 ten round box magazines for her bolt action unto her belt. Bringing the total of 50 rounds for her sniper rifle counting the one that was already loaded. Plus a fragmentation and smoke grenade. Of course this wasn't counting what was in their JLTVs. All in all a rather light pack, made sense, this was a light op after all.

"Are you finished?" Kurokawa asked seeing her Marine counterpart in combat gear. She hoped she didn't come off as impatient.

"Yes, I'm...wait." She leaned back into the locker and she pulled out a combat knife in its sheath. She clipped the knife unto her right thigh, where a pistol would usually sit. Nodding at her loaded gear she turned back to Kurokawa, smiling a bit. "Yeah now I'm good to go."

Once more she took the lead as they made their way to the motor pool where the vehicles of Recon Team 3 rested. Along the way they stopped by the cafeteria and picked up a dozen water bottles. It wasn't long before they saw everyone gathered at their vehicles. Much to the duo's surprise Rory and Chuka was also present, no doubt they would be tagging along too.

The two joined their respective squads as they went over their finals checks for the mission. Extra water, MREs, ammo and gear were stored in the trunks, no heavy rucksacks this time. This would be quick, in and out.

* * *

"I think it was us who have the bad luck instead of the Coda Village refugees." Kim Tae Ha said, retracting his previous statement of the refugees having terrible luck.

Currently the grenadier along with the rest of the squad were taking cover behind the several inches of armor plating a JTLV door provided, constantly sweeping across the top of the walls where a bunch of antsy archers along with several large crossbows were located.

All around them were the dead bodies of the remnants of the Imperial and Allied Army along with the occasional bandit. Which was strange.

They could all hear Itami sigh. "Why couldn't anything be simple?" Once again, things were becoming ever more steadily complicated. Well they couldn't back out now considering they were literally at the doorsteps of the town.

Itami fiddled with his helmet before calling for their resident magician. "Hey Lelei, I'm going to introduce ourselves. I might need you to translate some stuff for me. Still a bit awkward at speaking."

"It's no problem." She replied in her monotone voice. She trailed behind Itami who was already heading towards a door besides the large gate. As they reached their destination, the doors flew open catching Itami off guard and sending him tumbling to the ground.

They saw a redheaded female with matching eyes poke her head through the door, staring at the unconscious Itami with wide eyes. After a short period of silence she stepped out revealing her to be in knights armor though it was slimmer than the ones worn by her male counterparts.

"Umm did I do this?" She asked although she probably knew the answer judging by the horrified expression on her face.

Kurokawa was the among the first react as she ran up to the downed man with Chuka and Rory following close behind. She sighed in relief as she found no severe injuries on the man, perhaps a headache when he woke up. She took out a canteen and splashed some water on him in efforts to wake him up. And right behind her was a rather unhappy Chuka who began to berate the redhead.

Looking on at the scene Jong Han spoke up from behind his door. "Since the otaku is knocked out maybe you should I don't know….take charge?" He pulled the charging handle of his K2 rifle causing the distinctive click-clack sound to ring out. "Hearts and minds and the gold will follow."

John scoffed at the notion. "Well then why don't you go up?"

"Do you want me as a first impression? The redhead looks like fucking royalty with that armor on her."

John slowly stood up. "...maybe I'll get a ribbon or a promotion."

Jong Han cheered him on, not that it was needed. "That's the spirit, gotta fill out that uniform."

"Oorah."

He frowned at that. "You can't say that man. You're a ghost catcher not a devildog."

"I was born in America bitch I'll say what I want, besides there's no devildog here. Only us ghost catchers."

Jong Han clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Freaking asshole is American when it's convenient." Nonetheless he glued his eyes to the men on the walls, that was his best friend out there.

"This is fucking stupid." He thought while approaching the gaggle of females. "Like I give a shit what the politicians say, never like the slimy dipshits anyway." Despite his colorful thoughts he didn't let it show on his face. He didn't want a tree sized arrow impaled in his chest for looking hostile at the important looking female.

Reaching the group he gently gripped Chuka's shoulder, gaining her attention. He was surprised at the heated look on her face, a complete change from her usual self.

"Relax, Itami is fine" He assured her in the foreign language, somewhat calming her. Still needed some work on it though, Itami was better at it than him.

Clearing his throat he turned towards the redhead. "I am Sergeant First Class John Lee of the Korean Armed Forces and this," He gestured to the man slowly regaining consciousness. "Is Lieutenant Itami Youji of the Japanese Self Defense Force."

He pointed towards a bag that was on Lelei. "We're not here to fight, only trade."

That seemed to calm the woman down a bit. Although still shaken up considering the way she took a step back when John reached his hand out. Getting only a confused look on her face he retracted his hand.

For a minute he stared her down, waiting. "Well?"

The rather informal form of address seemed to anger the red haired woman's adjutant.

"How dare you speak in such a lax manner to the Imperial Princess!"

Itami finally standing, let out a choked breath at that however…."So, your name?" Princess, prince or Emperor didn't really matter to him, never really cared for royalty. An outdated practice in his opinion.

"P-Pina Co Lada." She stammered out.

Still ever nonchalant and ever blunt. "Good afternoon Pina, could you let us in? I promise we'll stop at the first defense line."

She hesitated.

"Only trading, only peace." Still she hesitated. Seeing that his "attempt" at getting them in wasn't working he pointed to Itami was starting to sport a bruise on his forehead. It seemed to be enough that she nodded in agreement before closing the wooden door.

After hearing a brief shout they saw the large gates open allowing Recon Team 3 passage into Italica.

The small group, including Rory who had simply watched the action unfold in silence walked in first.

Itami radioed his team. "Alright, stop just beyond the gate. No hostile actions and stay in your vehicles." And so the vehicles rumbled past the entrance and slowed to a stop.

Both the townspeople and knights stared in awe at the metal beasts with the steel rods on top that were rumored to lay waste to anything in its path. It only made sense why the Apostle of Emroy would chose the otherworldly killers.

John walked towards his car after another brief exchange with the princess. The second JLTV was right next to it, no need for the radio.

Several sets of windows rolled down.

He started off. "Right, just talked with the princess-"

"Princess?!" Oh right, they didn't hear that part.

"Yes, yes, get it out of your system." He crossed his arms. "Now as I was saying, I talked with the princess and she wants me and Itami to head to the Formals Clans mansion, the lords of this town. We'll engage in some lovely political talk and all that good stuff there."

"So you guys sit tight here, battle lock your windows and doors. Keep turrets online, both the Duece and LRAD. I'll check in occasionally alright?"

"Understood."

He nodded in approval. "Good, now keep safe. I'll be back soon." With that he made his way to the princess and her aide.

The walk to the mansion was brief but nonetheless awkward as both sides kept to themselves. It was only after they had walked through the mansion gates that Pina started talking.

"Italica is an invaluable trading town for the Empire due to its location on the crossroads of Dessria and Appia Highways." She took a breath. "However since the passing of the former head of the Formal Clan, things took a turn for the worse revolving around the issue of the heir to the family."

"The two eldest sisters were already married so they couldn't be the heir so it eventually trickled down to the youngest sister." By now they stopped behind the princess who was standing in front of a door.

"Behind this door is the current lord of Italica and countess of the Formal Clan, Myui. I ask that show the utmost respect for her." With that she opened the door revealing the Countess Formal.

"She's just a child." Itami breathed out seeing the young girl in her bright pink dress sitting on the chair reserved for the head of her family.

John simply kept a neutral face that belied his thoughts. "What a backwards ass culture this Empire has. Fucking shits making a 10 year old girl do this kind of shit." But then again they themselves were at the same point as the Empire at one point in history. At least the Empire had the excuse of being a thousand years behind, North Korea was in the modern age yet look at its people. Even now, 12 years later and they still struggled to fit into a semblance of a normal life.

Rory, Chuka, and Lelei didn't seem to be bothered by it though, they were used to this after all.

Pina walked to her side and gently put a hand on the childs shoulder. "She turns 11 this year." She took a breath. "Due to her young age she can't lead the defense of Italica so I have taken her place instead along with my order."

She led the party out of the room and took them several rooms down the hallway. Opening the door she moved towards a table and gestured for them to sit.

Surprisingly Myui had followed them took a spot at the head of the table.

John eyed the child. "I guess this matters to her as much it matters to us." Conceding, he sat down with Rory taking the spot next to him.

Clearing her throat Pina started off. "You said something about trading earlier?"

Lelei nodded as she hefted up a large bag. Putting it on the table she opened it, revealing several smaller bags. Taking one of them she undid the lace and showed the princess and her adjutant the contents.

Her eyes widened at seeing the scales before passing it onto Myui.

"We're here to trade these dragon scales to a local trader in order to provide funds for a group of refugees that have been under our care." Itami stated, leaning forward.

"Refugees? From where?"

Itami continued talking seeing how John was taking the backseat. "From Coda Village."

Her eyes widened in realization. "The fire dragon.." She breathed out. One of the most dangerous creatures to come across. But then…"How many survived?"

Lelei spoke in her usual monotone voice. "Roughly two thirds."

The princess looked surprised. "Only a third died?" She looked at the two soldiers. "Impressive." She could admit that much.

John simply leaned back in his seat. "You think so? Wasn't that difficult to kill the lizard."

"What!" Pina shouted in disbelief, her adjutant and countess shared her disbelief. "But that's…."

"It's true, they killed the fire dragon. I was there." Rory confirmed. A confirmation from the Emroy Apostle was convincing enough for the princess.

For a moment Pina sat still, not saying anything before she sighed. "Why am I even surprised."

She rubbed her temples. "Well there normally wouldn't be an issue if someone wants to trade considering that this is a trading town but…" She didn't finish. Didn't need to, they knew what she was going to say.

Itami grunted. "Bandits."

She nodded. "Yes and as you saw, we're not in the best of shapes. The rest of my order is currently on their way here but it'll take them nearly 3 days before they arrive." Which would be 3 days too late at their current rate.

"You want our help." Itami stated.

She didn't hide the fact. "Yes, I do and I realize that we're technically enemies here but-"

John cut in. "We'll help Pina, no need to elaborate." Itami gave him a hard look to which he shrugged at. Deal with it was the unspoken answer.

Pina however looked as if a large weight was taken off her shoulders. "Thank you." She straightened herself out before continuing. "Now I do believe that we should be getting to plan our defense."

* * *

John looked over at the horizon where the sun was rapidly setting. Behind him was the recon team going about their designated posts and setting up for the expected attack.

He rolled his shoulders feeling the weight of the extra ammo that was shoved onto his vest. Six magazines wouldn't be enough so they had raided their vehicles for the extra munitions stored there. Now his Marines were carrying nearly double what the had before. The same could be said for Itami and his soldiers as they too bulked up for the upcoming fight.

Turning away from the setting sun John walked towards Itami.

Itami turned towards the approaching sergeant. "I just radioed Alpha, got some good news."

"What can we expect?"

"Package Romeo is green and we can expect boots on ground."

John looked out towards the darkness that enveloped the soon to be killing field. "What's their ETA?"

Itami grimaced. "0800."

His head snapped back to Itami. "The fuck happened? We're only few hours away from Alpha, less for air insertion." He found himself feeling frustrated at the lax response time.

Itami simply sighed. "Bad timing that's what happened." Seeing his questioning look he continued. "General Hazama and the others decided to push further in, we've got ROK Marines setting up firebases and SDF trickling in behind them. Work done by the other recon teams going into good use….I guess."

John cursed in English. "Damn thundercunts upstairs are a bunch of fucking idiots. God damnit."

Itami scratched his head. First time he heard English from the man. "You should've been a sailor with that kind of language."

He scoffed at the joke. "Yeah well then I've gotta hear speeches all day of how great Admiral Yi Sun Shin was back when he was killing the Japanese Navy."

Yi Sun Shin? A for minute Itami drew a blank before remembering the legendary naval admiral. "Oh I remember him, learned about him during history back in high school. Didn't he beat a Japanese fleet that was 10 times bigger than his?"

"Battle of Myeongnyang, he beat back roughly 130 Japanese warships with only 13 of his own. Destroyed 30 ships with none to his own. Arguably one of the greatest admirals in history." He shook his head, no use talking about that, useless information.

Suddenly Kim Han Yoon called them over. "Hey come over here, you...uh you might want to see this." They quickly walked over. She handed John her binoculars.

They could hear him take a sharp intake of breath. "Well damn." He pulled away and began fiddling with his wrist touchscreen device in a hurried manner after he gave Itami the binos.

Itami peered through the binoculars. He zoomed in, nearly 8 kilometers away and saw a large group of their presumed enemy. Thankfully they weren't moving, just relaxing from the look of things. Still it was more than he was hoping for. Switching to thermal he got a even worse view. More red clusters were joining the largest one.

He gave the high tech binoculars back to its owner. The first thing he saw was a number courtesy of John and his wrist device. Eight thousand. Looking up he saw the worried faces of the recon team and the girls. His next words surprised them.

"We're going to send a preemptive strike."

* * *

Around the campfires the mix of bandits, mercenaries and former Imperial and Allied Army soldiers went about celebrating what they assumed to be their victory.

They had been gathering men at a steady rate for the past few days. Keeping most of them in reserve while the main force attacked Italica, constantly probing for a weakness. And now with the last of their forces trickling in they were ready to hit both the southern and eastern gates simultaneously. Although changes had to be made, 7 thousand would attack the southern wall where the otherworldly soldiers defended and the remaining thousand would be attacking the eastern gate, more than enough for the pitiful defense of Italica.

Their biggest hurdle would be the southern gate but that was fine.

As long as one of the gates fell, victory would be theirs. Surround and then kill. Simple.

They cheered, living in the dirt was over for them. Tomorrow they'd live like kings within Italica.

Suddenly everything erupted. One after another in rapid succession the very earth was cratered and scarred. For minutes on end men and limb were sent flying as they were broken under the onslaught of death they couldn't even comprehend.

They fled, scattering into the night desperately trying avoid the mystery death of their comrades. Everything was falling apart and they didn't have a clue how to stop it.

* * *

Pina and those around her watched in awe and horror of the sudden eruption.

Moments before a runner from the south wall, Kurata if she remembered had told her of Itami's decision to attack first. A confusing prospect, one she laughed off. After all they didn't know where the bandits were, only that roughly a thousand were massed to attack Italica. Defense was the plan of action not offense.

Then he told them it wasn't a thousand men but 8 thousand men that lurked 8 kilometers from the southern wall. She laughed that off too only to stop when the southern forest was blown to pieces.

Currently she along with Hamilton were making their way to the southern gate. A whole slew of questions were running through her head and she expected an answer.

It wasn't long before they reached where the recon team was located. They had the full attention of the team as they pulled up to the wall on their horses.

Getting off her horse Pina briskly walked up the stairs leading to the top of the wall, Hamilton followed close behind.

"Can I ask what that was about?" She asked walking up to Itami.

He looked at Kurata. "Kurata should've explained everything when I sent him to you."

She frowned a bit. "Well he didn't go into detail."

"I see…" Before Itami could continue a tap on his helmet stopped him. Turning around he found John standing there, his rifle held loosely in his hands.

"Why don't you get on with preparing for what's to come. We're not done yet you know." He suggested.

Itami stepped aside letting him take a step forward. "Thanks."

John merely waved it off. "Yeah yeah not doing this out of charity, you just got some brownie points for your decision."

He rubbed his nose. "Right well I'm off then. Oh! And before I forget, could you explain to them the next part of the plan for me?"

Once again John merely waved him off. "It'll be done."

They watched the retreating back of the Japanese man before turning their attention towards each other.

John started off. "Right well basically what happened was that we found about 8 thousand bad guys over there. Didn't really want to deal with that so we called in some help."

Pina simply crossed her arms. "What kind of help?"

"Package Romeo, it's...a... big cannon that shoots very far." He seemed unsure on just how to describe a railgun to a person who probably didn't even know what a magnet was.

"What?"

He nodded at his own description, as if taking pride in it. "Yeah, that what it is, a big cannon that shoots very far."

She frowned at the bland description. "Where is it positioned? Can we could make it so it's oriented to fire on the bandits when they attack later on?" She prayed that it could, it would be a massive boon to their defensive….

"Arnus Hill."

"What?" She blinked. That couldn't be right, she must have misheard.

"I-I'll ask again, where it is located?"

He seemed amused by her confused and dumbfounded expression. "Arnus Hill."

"But that's…." She trailed off.

John picked up from where she trailed off. "Impossible? You forget who we are Pina."

She bit her lips. "Japanese Self Defense Force and Korean Armed Forces."

"Well technically I'm a Marine than anything else." He grunted out, temporarily forgetting that the Empire didn't know the concept of a naval infantry.

Hamilton tilted her head in confusion. "Marine?"

He waved her off. "Don't worry about right now. I'll tell you after this is over with. Speaking of that, let me show you two the next part." He tilted his wrist, showing the females a map of Italica on his touchscreen device.

Pina looked at the device in wonder. "When did you map out Italica? And in such detail?" In fact. "This looks just like the map we gave you."

He smirked. "That's because it is, now before you ask anything," He put a hand up halting them. "I'll explain when this is over. Until then just keep your questions in those pretty heads of yours."

Seeing the two nod he zoomed to the Formal Mansion. "Now this part hasn't changed, the mansion is our final line of defense." They agreed on that, protect the countess.

He zoomed out and highlight lighted the three direct routes to the mansion. Which were the roads that connected with the west, east and southern gates. Thankfully they didn't have to worry about the north. "Should the walls fall the most likely route the bandits will take are these roads in effort to surround our final line. To prevent this our secondary line won't be right behind the walls but be right here." He pointed to where the each road met the courtyard that surrounded the mansion. A choke point.

"Put your barriers here, the buildings make for a natural choke point." However there was one flaw. A flaw that Pina wholeheartedly pointed out.

"What about the alleyways and smaller roads? How would we stop those?"

He smiled at her. "Good catch. As for those they'll be taken care of by our marksman up there." He pointed to the highest point in Italica, an old tower right next to the mansion. "She has traps set up to where if a person sets them off it notifies her of the location. Most of these traps are set up where the smaller roads and alleyways converge so it doesn't overload her with excess information."

Pina eyed the tower. "What's her job up there?"

"To direct us so we can intercept them before they box us in and also to take the occasional shot if she sees an opportunity."

Pina nodded at the plan, it was a solid one, one she would agree to. "Alright seems good enough, I'll head back and inform them of the plan." She turned around heading back to her horse.

"Hey Pina, if you end up pulling back. Make sure take advantage of Rory, she'll hold off the bandits until you can get into position."

She nodded, it wouldn't be a problem. "I'll be quick about it."

"One more thing." He held up a flare gun. "Shoot this into the air if you end up retreating. It'll notify us so we can synchronize our movements."

She gingerly took the small gun, looking at it in wonder. "H-how do I use this?" Accidentally her finger grazed the trigger, slightly pushing it down. Feeling something suddenly give way she pulled the gun up to face and stared at the trigger.

"Press down on that, you've got one shot so make it count." He said in a strained voice seeing the princess almost fire the gun off prematurely.

"...Okay." In a cautious manner she tucked the small gun away. "Is that all?" She asked.

John nodded. "Yup." He crossed his arms seeing the two walk to their horses.

He sighed. "It's just a flare gun yet I feel nauseous at giving her the damn thing." The only thing worse would be being interrogated by some self-righteous, anti-war asshole on live TV.

Hearing them depart on their horses he turned around and walked back to his squad, minus Kim Han Yoon who was in the tower.

Wordlessly he joined them in leaning on the railings.

"Everything's in place sir."

John looked over at Kim Tae Ha who had just spoken.

"Nervous?" He asked in return.

The grenadier nodded. "...I'll do my best sir and I trust your plan."

John patted the corporal on the back. "We'll all do our best, we have to. And credit goes to Itami for the plan, I just added suggestions." Damn otaku was finally using his brain.

John looked down at his wrist. The clock read 1900. Immediately he found himself regretting it, the anxiety was starting to build at the wait.

Once more he glanced at the tall tower. Any signs of the enemy would be reported, no need to worry. Still he could feel his heart beat loudly within his chest in anxiety and perhaps even a bit of anticipation. "I need a distraction." He thought to himself.

"Hey! I've got the NVGs so come and get 'em." John turned towards the diminutive sergeant. Kuribayashi was currently holding an armful of NVGs for the team, well the Japanese anyway. They didn't need the older model NVGs.

He eyed her as she passed the gear out. Getting off the wall he slowly moved towards her. "Might as well have some fun with Shino-chan." He thought to himself. The girl was bit annoying when she got at all glory eyed at talking to a ROK Marine but at least it'd take his mind off of potentially killing several hundred men.

He had to get off somehow and he rather liked the prospect of enjoying her "fun bags" one day.

* * *

0532.

That was the time when John checked the time. Just couple more hours and they would have their reinforcements. Air support was on standby, it would take 15 minutes for the helicopters to reach Italica from where they were stationed, which was one of the firebases that had been set up during the night. They would bring the first wave of reinforcements while at the same time provide close air support, if it was needed.

John refrained from scoffing at the order given. Of course they would need the support. "I swear the higher ups are a bunch of idiots for giving that order." Even if they were being optimistic and say half the bandit force had died, which was being extremely optimistic, they would still be fighting 4 thousand men. Realistically they were lucky if 500 died during the surprise bombardment.

The real lethality of Package Romeo came from its reach. In their world, in their modern day battlefield, a railgun strike was a devastating one but the average soldier knew what they were going up against and had countermeasures set in place.

Here in the Special Region, the true power of Package Romeo didn't come from range but rather its ability to demoralize and wreak psychological havoc. These people had nothing against it. To them it was nothing more than a terrifying and sudden death. Their five senses were useless at tracking a projectile traveling at mach 10 after all.

John was looking out onto the forest, what was left anyway, when Kim Han Yoon radioed him.

"Bingo at the eastern gate, estimate: 6 clicks out." He could hear the slight drowsiness in her voice.

"Got it." He licked his lips, here we go. "Commence bombardment."

Her response was swift despite however tired she felt. "Understood, painting target. Prepare for extended bombardment of Package Romeo. And a rude awakening while we're at it." John smiled at the jest.

Everyone was awake, have been for the night as they got themselves ready for the upcoming fight.

The nightly silence that engulfed Italica was broken by another earthshaking barrage and this time there were no plans for stopping. The strike was also a message to both the inhabitants of Italica and the bandits.

For the inhabitants it was the message to head to the mansion. The entirety of the mansion including the courtyard within its own protective walls would be used to house the noncombatants.

For the bandits it meant one simple thing; death.

"Chuka, Lelei remember to stay close. Don't wander off and if you feel overwhelmed then say so. One of us will escort you to the mansion." The voice was Itami. Currently he was giving the two an uncharacteristic stern look. No argument was made against him.

Pulling his radio up he contacted their marksman. "Anything in the south?"

"Got nothing on thermal, all congregated in the east." They heard her take a breath. "Uhh wait 10 mikes. I'll report the situation then."

Itami nodded at the report. "Got it, talk you then." He called out to the others. "Alright guys, our next move will depend on her next report. If there's any signs of the bandit splitting up then we stay here, if they all attack the east then we'll go and reinforce the eastern wall."

A chorus of affirmatives rang out, this was just the final check. The plan had been drilled into their heads during the night and each one of them had been mentally playing out the battle in their heads. What to do when this happened, how react if they did this, how would the bandits react to their plans and anticipate their moves. It was the basics of preparing for a battle. Plan, overview, mental picture and action.

Ten minutes passed and right on time their marksman reported in. "Contact 4 and half clicks out now. No signs of splitting."

Itami and John shared a look. Move.

"Up and ready! We're reinforcing the eastern wall!" Itami barked at the team.

Swiftly the team moved as per their planning and order. They ran on top of the walls past the empty or destroyed battlements.

They were halfway to their destination when the radio crackled to life with the voice of Kim Han Yoon.

"Bandits 3 clicks out."

Wordlessly the team continued their steady pace, they would reach the east wall soon.

A few minutes later the recon team arrived at the eastern wall where unlike the southern wall, was bustling with defenders getting ready for the tide of bandits.

Among them was Rory as she leaned on the railings. Her expression was one of anticipation, she wanted death. And she would get death, just not on her terms. She was their shock trooper and it was John's responsibility to use her at the most opportune moment. For the battle he would be her...handler.

Itami approached the princess. "Are you ready princess?" Didn't really matter what her answer was though, she would fight even if she wasn't.

Her eyes were transfixed at the approaching swarm of bandits. Package Romeo was still in play. Despite the chaos they still came, unrelenting.

She took a deep breath, the fresh morning air calmed her nerves a bit. Turning to Itami she answered back, resolute. "I'm ready and so is my order. You need not worry about us."

Itami turned to the civilians. "Are they ready?"

He received a chuckle in response. "We've been here for several days now, everyone has been ready and now with your team here, everyone is motivated."

The marksman's voice sounded off once more. "2 clicks. Package Romeo danger close."

Itami nodded at Pina before joining the rest of defense. Shouldering his rifle Itami peered down his iron sights. At this distance it was hard to make out an individual, especially without magnified sights but nonetheless he waited until he could fire.

"1 click, Package Romeo lifting." As soon as she said that the seemingly endless bombardment lifted, 2 kilometers was considered danger close. "Engaging." With that the first shot of the battle rang out.

At a steady rate the marksman continued popping off shots. With the large clusters of enemies she didn't even have to aim properly, Kentucky Windage was good enough.

A moment passed before…"Everyone! Open fire!" Itami roared out the command as he pressed down on the trigger. Like dominoes everyone immediately began opening up on the enemy.

Everyone was firing either in short bursts or single shots to conserve as much ammo as they could. The only exception, the SAW.

Bun Jung Hua greeted the oncomers with a long burst of his K3 light machine gun. The five-five six munition easily tore through both armor and body alike. In combat, his job was to be the force multiplier by sending a hail of lead downrange, often becoming the loudest or one of the loudest beings on the battlefield. Here without the explosions, vehicles or machinery of a modern day battlefield, his presence only became that much larger.

Despite preparing Pina couldn't help but cover her ears when the soldiers unleashed hell on the bandits.

"It's so loud...so unnatural." She thought to herself. However she couldn't dwell on this. Slowly uncovering her ears she turned to her archers.

She hollered at them. "Archers ready!"

Simultaneously the archers drew their bows. "Fire!" With that a barrage of arrows left the strings of the bows and flew into the killing field. With the order to fire given they continuously fired arrow after arrow as fast as they could. But they were dwarfed by the thunderous roar of Recon Team 3.

"Count two! Rocket out!" Jong Han fired off two rockets, launching them at two groups that carried a ladder. The rockets flew true and impacted near the ladders, destroying them from the concussive force. The mangled bodies was only a bonus.

However the firing of the PDR meant something else, they were within 200 meters. That was the range of the PDR.

CQC wasn't far away and unfortunately for the Marines, they didn't carry a shotgun. Only the underbarrel attachment version, the masterkey. Which was currently attached to John's gun, they way it was going to used wasn't its intended purpose but a shotgun was a shotgun, perfect for close quarter combat.

As they poured on the fire they could all hear Rory's scream of discomfort next to her handler. The massive death toll was beginning to wear on her ability stay sane and wait for John's order.

Briefly looking down at writhing girl John made his decision. Hauling Rory to her feet he gave her one order, one word. And he screamed it into her face.

"Kill!" With that he immediately let her go.

Not wasting a moment she leaped down onto the battlefield and began tearing through the ranks of the enemy, all the while laughing in delight.

* * *

In a battle there are many factors that play into an outcome. There are internal factors such as the individual soldiers and morale. There are also external factors outside the control of man such as weather, time and if you believe it, luck.

Time and again people hear moments of how a man charges out into no mans land and returns unscathed with a buddy over his back. This wasn't such moment.

Whether it was dumb luck or skill it didn't matter as a lone arrow, it's sender already dead, flew over the stone wall and embedded itself in an eye that belonged to Sergeant First Class John Lee.

A horrific scream tore of his mouth as he clutched his now dead left eye. His gun hung loose on his shoulders by the straps with both hands now covering the dead eye.

"John/Sir!" The cry came from his squad as they witnessed the injury. The fire rate began to slow as the team turned to find John slumping against the stone wall, clutching his wound all the while.

"What are you doing?! Keep firing! Let the medic worry about him!" The shout had come from Jong Han, who unlike the others never stopped firing even as his best friend began screaming in pain.

"God damnit! You Jap medic get your ass over here!" He screamed out. Responding in a flash the raven haired medic was upon him. Quickly she began to assess the downed man, ignoring the rather derogatory name he called her by.

Even so the youngest of John squad couldn't take their eyes off their wounded squad leader. Their first casualty. However they were snapped to attention by none other than Jong Han.

He grabbed the two by their vests, glaring at them. "Eyes and guns front fuckface. I don't need you two freezing up." He roughly shoved them forward into the line of fire. "He's the medics problem not ours. So stop worrying."

Hyung Ben lurched in protest. "But…" He stopped as found the surprisingly sharp eyes of the corporal. Wordlessly he along with Kim Tae Ha reengaged the fight.

The only sign of distress he showed was merely a brief glance at his best friend.

Suddenly the army of bandits roared back to life. They all saw what happened, the seemingly invincible soldiers were drawn blood. The previously nigh untouchable enemy was one man down, proof of their mortality. They could all feel it, the battle was in their favor.

Pina took her eyes off the bandits, chanting to draw more blood and glanced down at the bloodied man. Part of her felt afraid, afraid that they wouldn't be enough but another part, one she wouldn't admit was….relieved. It was silly to say but the soldiers had carried with them an air of invincibility, untouchable. Yet a simple arrow broke that notion. They were human and just like any human, they could be killed.

She tore her eyes away from the scene and towards her own forces and continued to coordinate their efforts. She found however that with that single hit, morale took an equally large hit as well. The air of invincibility worked both ways she guessed. Nothing she could do except push them harder to fight.

She quickly found another problem. The pileup at the gate.

Briskly walking towards Itami she pointed at the gate. "Itami can you do something about the gate?!" She yelled over the gunfire.

He yelled back equally as loud. "No! We tried everything, they're using the dead bodies as cover! We don't have an angle for our guns to shoot down directly!"

She looked around in panic. "What about Rory?! Where is she?!"

Itami looked frustrated at the question. "Having fun!" He pointed at the deeper ranks of the bandits where they could see a small figure running amok.

"John stay down! You're injured!" Kurokawa's shout gained their attention.

They gaped at the scene.

With hands slick with blood John had shouldered his rifle. He fired off a burst before he was pulled back by the medic. The bandages, already soaked in blood covered his left eye and wrapped around his head. He didn't even have his helmet on. On the ground was the shaft of the arrow, not the tip. That was still in his eye.

"I'm telling you I'm fine! The injection killed any feeling of pain!" He reached into a small case in his waist and pulled out an empty syringe. "You know what this does!" He roared at her before tossing the syringe at her and returning to his firing line.

Still she wasn't backing down. "I know what that does! But You. Lost. An. Eye!"

He didn't even respond.

Screaming in frustration she stomped away from the man, giving up.

However the damage was done as pileup began to put a strain on the gate. The grenades both regular and airburst from the K11 were having minimal effect on the mass of bodies down below.

Itami contacted their marksman. "How long until they arrive?!"

"7 mikes."

His eyes widened at that. "It's only been 8 minutes since we called it in?" He thought in disbelief. It felt like an eternity.

"Damnit! Everyone prepare to fall back!" He yelled. The bandits were beginning to scale the wall.

He leaned over the stone wall as much as he dared. He fired a shot at the mass of bodies before pulling himself back in as he felt himself losing balance.

He cursed at the odd angle they had to work with. Nobody could get a shot off unless…

He shook his head, that was crazy thinking. Nobody was that suicidal, not even…

"Holy shit." He uttered in pure shock.

Currently John along with Jong Han were hooking on the five-five cord to their waists and then securing it on the railings that surrounded the inner part of the walls. He saw John bend down and pick up his previously discarded helmet.

Strapping on the helmet John saw Itami's shocked expression and with half his face bloodied and bandaged, smiled at the commander and gave a thumbs up. As if he didn't care about the level recklessness of what he was about to do.

Itami didn't even bother saying anything and returned to firing down on the bandits, clearing the wall of the few who came close to coming over.

He knew that from the moment the thought of rappelling down into the mass of enemies in order to clear out the gate occurred to him that he needed a therapist. It was beyond stupid. Yet he found the plan viable because one of thing and it wasn't his skill. It was his best friend who had volunteered to help. Anyone else and he would've tossed out the thought and prepared to fall back.

His oldest memory was with Jong Han. They went to school together, sneaked into nightclubs together when they were in high school, trained together and ate together. And when Jong Han was put in his squad, he was elated. With his best friend, they became infinitely more dangerous on the battlefield.

With everything prepared John faced his best friend and lightly banged his helmet against his, "I trust you" was the message. He leaned over the wall and without hesitation, fell. Rappelling down face first into the train wreck of human bodies he tossed down a smoke grenade. With the area covered in blinding smoke he dived into the mass of bodies and forced his way passed the dead bodies to find the battering ram manned by living men.

In the confusion of battle and smoke he was invisible to the bandits, just another body and most certainly not a soldier with a bandolier of grenades.

He pulled a string and all the safety pins of the fragmentation grenades came loose. The safety levers popped open with the safety pins gone, all of them would explode in a few seconds.

He harshly pulled on the five-five cord, this would be his getaway.

Up above the white cloud of smoke Jong Han peered into the smoke for any sign of his friend. If he fucked up then John would die. He ignored the shouts of his squad or the radio calls, they weren't important. All his focus was on detecting John's signal.

Suddenly he felt the cord lurch, that was it. Immediately he dropped down. As he rappelled down John flew upwards and out of the smoke and more importantly out of the area in which the grenades would explode.

With a deafening boom the mass of bodies exploded into a gory mess as the grenades went off within their ranks. The pain filled screams reached a feverish pitch as the wounded cried out in agony at the loss of limbs and flesh. There were more wounded than dead from the explosion but the plan worked. The gate was cleared for the moment however the battering ram was still intact.

The two marines stayed on the vertical wall despite the exposed position. Their K2s barked a near endless stream of bullets, killing anyone that tried to use the battering ram and even taking down those trying to scale the wall.

"John! Up!" Hearing his friends call he dropped down from his position raising Jong Han from his previous position.

Reloading his rifle while rappelling downwards he quickly swung out to his left, dodging a pair of arrows. By now he was just above head level of the ground troops, too close.

John called over the radio to Jong Han. "Up!" Feeling a familiar lurch he left himself rapidly ascend. As soon as they were at similar height John planted his feet halting Jong Han from descending further. Without breaking stride he put his reflex sight over a man's chest and fired off two shots in rapid succession before changing targets.

Besides him Jong Han rapidly flowed from one target to another, showing his fluidity in combat. He glanced over at his wounded friend, he was getting slower. While John couldn't feel the injury anymore due to the injection, his body still knew that one eye was missing and it was starting to hinder him in his target acquisition.

Enough was enough, help was within hearing now anyway.

"Itami! We're heading up!" Jong Han yelled into the radio.

The only response he got was a yell. "Covering Fire!" With the order the fire rate nearly tripled as the team switched fire modes and held down the trigger.

Taking advantage of the cover fire, the two began bounding up the vertical slope at a rapid pace.

From her area Pina watched as the two men pull themselves over the stone wall and pat their bodies down, as if they couldn't believe that they were alive. This was punctuated by a blast of Johns underbarrel shotgun on a bandit who managed to reach to top of the wall. Said bandit fell back down, his torso blown open by the shotgun.

"What kind of monster is he?" The thought was directed at John who, despite a fatal injury got up after getting bandaged and did whatever stunt he just pulled off.

What kind of training did he go through to reach that level of...discipline to fight on immediately after an arrow to an eye? She couldn't imagine it and she couldn't imagine the Empire winning against something like this.

She raised a trembling hand and stared at it, she was terrified of their power. Terrified what would become of her and her comrades if the Empire chose to fight. No, she knew her fate if that did happen, complete subjugation. They would be made into slaves befitting of their weakness.

She clenched her teeth, peace was the only option no matter what the war hawks said or did. She'd make sure of it.

A strange noise in the distance broke her from her thoughts. She looked around to find the relieved even overjoyed faces of Itami's team. She looked on in confusion, why were they so happy? The battle wasn't over yet so…..

The sound grew louder by the second and it began to attract the attention of not only her but those around her, including some of the bandits.

She found one of her knights pointing at something in the distance. Following the finger she could make out numerous black figures approaching them at a rapid pace. Faster than anything she's ever seen.

She found Itami's hand on her shoulder. Turning around she found a large smile on his face.

"What's going on? What am I seeing?" She asked, voicing her equally confused thoughts.

Itami answered in a relieved tone. "That," He said pointing to the closer figures. Blackhawks he realized from the familiar silhouette. "Is the beginning of the end."

* * *

ROKA-SWC: Stands for Republic of Korea Special Warfare Command. A friggen mouthful if you ask me, but then again you aren't asking me so…..yeah. Anyway as the name suggests these guys are basically in charge of Korea's special operations, which of course includes the 707th Special Mission Battalion. The fucking White Tigers, bunch of crazy hyper-lethal super soldiers. Then again lot of special operations groups are like that.

If anyone's wondering about the injections, like the one John used in this chapter then you could either wait until the next chapter when it's explained then or just PM me.

I think that's all for this chapter, when regarding military terms that I haven't explained yet. If i missed any feel free to point them out. I'll make changes accordingly.


	5. Reprieve

Disclaimer: I don't own shit….too simple? Welp, nothing I can do.

A/N: I'm finally done with my finals for school. Which is great, can't wait to graduate next year. Freaking done with this high school shit. Useless, abstract math being the bane of my existence. Well not entirely useless but useless to me and what my future probably entails.

Anyway, unto the story.

* * *

John stared up at the white ceilings of the hospital with his lone functioning eye. His new left eye was currently bandaged up again. He vaguely remembered an attractive doctor telling him the reason why the new eye needed to wrapped up after the surgery but honestly at the time he was so drugged up on medicine that he could barely understand what she had said. Only that it involved resting and nanobots, which was actually enough for him to come to his own conclusion. One that he went with for the past few days and considering the response or lack of one from the doctors, he'd have to say that he was spot on.

After a while he tore his gaze away from the ceilings and scanned the empty room. At the moment he was given some unintended alone time as the other usual occupants were outside. Taking a breath of fresh air they said. He scoffed at that, like they knew what fresh air felt like. The polluted air around Seoul was most definitely not fresh to him especially after being in the Special Region where pollution was nonexistent. Then again any air was fresher than the sterilized air of a hospital.

He thought back to the battle that occured a week ago. After the battle he was relieved of his post and sent back through the gate for replacement surgery of his left eye. He had just woken up from his surgery a few days ago when he was called upon by his government and the Japanese to a conference of sorts with the Diet. A televised one at that.

He didn't like that, the fact that he was called upon by both his and the Japanese government the second he woke up. He was still getting his bearings straight when the call had come down.

Well nothing he could do now, at the very least he still had a day left until he would depart for Japan. He planned on fully taking advantage of his last remaining 24 hours.

He was shaken from his musings when the door slid open revealing the previously mentioned attractive doctor.

With a touchpad in her hands she walked over to the lone patient's bedside. Sitting down on a stool she greeted her newest patient.

"How are you feeling Lee Ju-."

He immediately corrected her. "John is what I go by doc. Thought I told you that yesterday."

She simply gave him a look before humming. "You know my husband said something similar about a guy in his company. Must be a trend, getting two names that is."

He looked surprised at that. "Your husband?"

She nodded at him. "Yes, for Checkmate Company, 2nd Marine Division." Afterwards a thoughtful look crossed her face. "John….John. Where have I heard that before?" For several moments she lightly tapped her touchpad, trying to remember what her husband told her. Not remembering she returned to typing on her touchpad.

A moment passed before she suddenly spoke up. "Are you by any chance the leader of 1st squad 3rd platoon?"

He nodded. "Yeah that's me."

"Oh….so you're the skirt chaser that my husband warned me about." She commented offhandedly not looking up from her touch pad.

For minute he was stunned into silence before he grumbled in a low voice. "...fuck you asshole. Ruining my reputation." Afterwards he sighed as he glanced upwards at the ceiling.

"So what's your excuse?" She asked looking up from the touchpad. "Is it the "No you've got it all wrong?" or the "He's lying about that?"

A for minute he was silent as he thought up of an answer but in the end his CO was pretty much right. "Well for the most part he is right. The only reason why he hasn't really talked to me about it is because it hasn't hindered my ability to carry out my orders."

She seemed surprised at the honest answer. "I see…and you don't care if I or any other call you a disgusting pervert?"

He merely waved it off. "You or any other don't mean anything to me in the long run anyway so no, I don't really care."

She merely hummed at the answer before continuing on. "Alright then, now let's get down to that eye of yours." She suggested. Receiving nod she undid the bandages.

As the final piece fell from his head he opened his new eye revealing it to be nearly identical in color to his original. The difference being that his new eye was more of a very dark brown than actually black but it was such a small difference that few would notice.

As his new eye was exposed to the bright light of the room for the first time he immediately closed them. Already he could feel a headache rising from the brightness.

"Doc, is it supposed to be this bright?" He asked in a strained voice.

"For most the part, yes. It's going to be a while before your eye adjusts completely." She paused as she typed something on her touchpad. "Is your vision blurry?"

He shook his head. "No, just bright as hell."

She merely hummed at this response. For a while the only sounds were of the doctor's fingers rapidly tapping on the touchpad. Sighing she looked up from her touchpad. "Your new eye is still adjusting, give the nanobots a couple days and see how things are. If it's still too bright or hard to see then come back, there may have been a complication with the surgery."

She then reached into small bag and pulled out an eye patch. After dropping it into John's hands she stood up from her stool. "Use this instead of the bandages, you don't need it now anyways. Also in a couple minutes a person will come by with your uniform. A private plane will be taking you to Japan in an hour so please get ready quickly."

He jumped at the news. "Wait a minute. An hour? I thought I had until tomorrow before I go to Japan?"

The doctor shook her head. "No tomorrow's the conference, you leave today. In an hour to be precise." With her part done she promptly left the room.

He watched as the door closed, leaving him alone again. He sighed in complaint as he put the eye patch over his new eye.

"Well that sucks, thought I'd have another day to relax." He groused to himself before shrugging. "Oh well I guess I'll make the most of it."

A couple minutes passed and right on time a person walked in with his uniform in hand. The exchange was silent and quick as the man left as quickly as he came.

Seeing the doors close once more John immediately began to check over his dress uniform.

"No wrinkles, belts good, shoes good and the hats good." He took a step back having laid out his dark uniform on the bed. It was relatively simple uniform that resembled those worn by the US Marine Corps. Which made sense considering the close relationship between the two corps.

He rather liked the uniform. Didn't go overboard trying to look distinguished, just a simple all black with a single red stripe going down the sides of the pants. Perhaps it was because of it's simplicity that he enjoyed it.

Well he didn't enjoy one thing, his name tag. His Korean name was out on display for the world to see. Which made sense in that it was the name the Korean government recognized him by. He merely used his American name because it was something he was comfortable with. Plus at this point everyone recognized him as John or if you were a certain female marksman, Lee. Even his mother called him John, she got used to calling him that just like everyone else. There was only one person that called him by his Korean name, a man that up until this point he had hated.

He didn't call or anything direct. All he did was send letters using his Korean name when it was his birthday or when something big happened. His father was distant like that. It was something he scorned when he was little, taking his father's distance as a form of aloofness and that he simply didn't care.

Now 22 years old and having seen more of the world or two he could safely say that the young John was an idiotic John. Misunderstanding something rather simple and in turn making things more complicated.

He knew now after looking through the past mails that his dad was scared than anything else. Scared of putting a hand out for fear of denial because to his dad, he would rather be ignored and hated than outright denied.

John let out a mirthless chuckle at the line of thought that he had taken while donning his uniform.

He moved over to a small mirror that was on the table besides his bed. All the accessories were put in the proper places at the right measurements. The seams of the uniform shirt, belt and the pants fly seams were lined up and centered, a perfect gig line and a perfect uniform. A model soldier that upheld the values of a Korean Marine.

Well that was image anyway, an image that he had to keep when in public to avoid reprimand and quite possibly demotion. The Marines were quite strict when it came to projecting a good public image.

Suddenly the door opened and a man poked his head inside. "Sir, your ride is waiting for you."

Turning towards the messenger John nodded. "Thank you, I'll be right down." As the man left the room John let out a small twitch. This facade of a professional soldier was going to be a pain. And he had to be on TV too? While in uniform? Honestly he wouldn't be surprised if he slipped up halfway through the day.

"Tomorrow is gonna suck donkey dick." He silently complained to himself while picking up a bag full of his spare clothes. Taking one last look on the mirror he nodded in satisfaction before walking out the room.

As he made his way out of the hospital he was greeted by the cool air of winter. After taking a breath of the cool air he turned his attention to a man in a suit standing in front of a black sedan.

Seeing the soldier emerge from the hospital the mystery figure simply gestured him to get in the car without a word.

Following the silent instruction John got into the passenger seat with his luggage in the back. He had barely closed the door when the sedan rumbled to life. Without a word they left the hospital.

The mystery driver spoke up for the first time as they pulled away from the hospital building. "How's your eye Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung or do you prefer your other name?"

For a moment John could only blink as he was unexpectedly called by his Korean name.

He growled at the man in response. "I prefer my other name you ass." He continued on in English as he turned to the passing scenery. "Fucking spook, I swear the lot of you."

Said man merely raised an eyebrow at the assertion. "Spook? Not sure how you came to that conclusion." The man shrugged, further feigning ignorance.

"Right, because I'm a brainless monkey." He scoffed reverting back to his native tongue. "I'm not an idiot, I knew the moment I came out of that gate that I would be considered VIP. Doesn't help that the conference with the Diet is tomorrow." Finished speaking he took a look around the road. "I'm willing to bet there's a bunch of you tailing us."

Keeping his eyes on the road the man hummed in response. "Yes, there's also the fact that you were involved in Ginza too."

John grunted at that, wrong place at the wrong time. Or right place at the right time depending on how you looked. "Well? Where's my briefing then?"

"Oh? Not even asking for my name?"

"Right because you'd totally answer." John bit back sarcastically.

The man merely shrugged, if he didn't want to know then he wouldn't tell him.

"We're currently headed to Osan Air Base, from there you take a private jet to Yokota Air Base in Tokyo. There you'll have your handler waiting for you to take you to Ginza. Once there you'll meet back up with First Lieutenant Youji Itami and the others. Once that's done you are given the rest of the day off. Be at your hotel by 2100 hours, any complications and you call your handler."

"Simple enough." John sighed out running a hand over his head.

"The conference starts at 0900 hours, be at the designated building at 0830 hours in uniform. You'll be asked a bunch of questions regarding your recent battle in Italica. Answer truthfully, we saw your squad helmet cams, nothing incriminating so you're good there. They'll also ask about the refugees you took in along with the Fire Dragon Incident. Once again answer truthfully, you did nothing incriminating."

"Easy enough."

The man nodded at the statement. "Yes it is, so just get it over with. Also you've got a couple days after the conference for some R&R."

John leaned his head against the window. "Is that all?"

"Yes."

He let out a yawn. "Right well I'm gonna sleep for the 60 odd kilometers to the base. Still feel the drugs in my system." Not waiting for an answer he closed his eyes and let himself fall asleep.

* * *

For John his reprieve felt like a blink as he was abruptly woken up by the sounds of a fighter jet.

As his eyes snapped open he found himself at Osan Air Base. The air force base was buzzing with activity with the ground crews working on the planes and the jets flying their sorties. It was a place where few would find it a good place to sleep.

"Where's my ride?" John asked in a drowsy manner, referring to the promised private jet.

The man glanced at the surroundings. "Not far, we'll be there shortly so get the sleep out of your system."

John simply groaned, stretching his arms. "No need to, thanks to that asshole who did the low flyby. Fucking ass gave me heart attack."

The man didn't offer a reply until the sedan pulled in front of a hanger. "We're here." He simply said.

With the private plane in front of him John turned around to get his luggage. After grabbing his bag of clothes he opened the door but was stopped before he could get out.

"Hey wait, I've got something for you." The man pulled out a blank envelope.

John took the envelope and gave it a look over. "I'm guessing my dad?" it came out more of a statement than an actual question. A short nod given to his question only solidified his belief of the sender. With a shallow sigh he pocketed the letter.

Without another word he stepped out of the car and closed the door behind him. He watched the sedan speed off before turning to the plane. Placing his cap on his head he began walking to his ride to Japan. As he walked towards the plane he found a man leaning on one of the wings.

"I wonder if that's my handler?" He thought while moving towards the plane. Certainly had to be. The unknown figure wasn't in the Air Force judging by his dress. In fact with simple jeans and a hoodie, few would even recognize the man as someone who was a government employee.

He was nearing the plane when the man gestured for him to get in.

"Get in the plane, we'll talk inside." He said in a relaxed voice.

Without complaint John walked up the stairs leading to the interior of the plane. Walking through the entrance he gave the ornate interior a look over and whistled in pleasant surprise.

"I guess being the military has its benefits." He mumbled to himself while getting comfortable on one of the plush seats.

Following close behind him was his supposed handler. The man closed the door and walked up to the cockpit. A short moment later the interior was filled with the muffled sounds of the jet engine.

Walking out of the cockpit, the man sat down on a seat across from John. Leaning back into the chair he introduced himself. "My name is Park Min and I'll be your handler for the next couple days." He tossed down a folder getting right to business. "This is the dossier on the people who are likely to question you tomorrow. Read it and memorize it so you won't get caught off guard with a question."

Leaning forward he opened the folder revealing a small packet of information on his soon to be "interviewers." He took a brief look at all the dossiers before stopping on a particular one. "Oh hell I've gotta a self-righteous, anti-war asshole as one of the questioners." He could already feel the grey hairs.

Park Min merely leaned his head against his hands. "Yeah Mizuki Kohara has been one of the most vocal about us being in the Special Region. She'll probably ask about the fire dragon and Italica."

John nodded, his driver already told him that. "Yup, nothing but truth right?"

He gave John a thumbs up. "Got it one. Did your driver tell you what's going down the next few days?"

"Yeah, gave me a rundown of everything. Including calling you if something comes up."

Park Min nodded in satisfaction. "Did he also tell you that the Special Region visitors are going to Seoul for a couple days after your stay in Japan?"

John sighed at the news. "No he didn't and let me guess...the president wants to meet them."

"Yup both Korean and US actually." Park Min replied blandly.

John stuttered at the response. "I-I didn't actually mean that."

The agent smiled at that. "Oh...feeling nervous at meeting him? From what I read you hated your father. I expected hate not nervousness."

For a minute John stayed silent, not answering the question. After a while he ran a hand over his shaved head as he stared out of the window.

In the end he simply shrugged in response. "Yeah...well that was when I was young and dumb. Things changed as I grew up, I guess."

"So how do feel about him now?" Park Min asked, probing him for an answer.

Instead of answering John turned to glare at the man. He was getting annoyed at the questions the agent was asking.

Park Min took that as a clue to stop. "Alright alright, I'll back off." He raised his hands in mock surrender.

Huffing in response John continued to stare out the window. They were still taxiing for takeoff. For a little while longer he silently watched the runway come closer. Soon they would be in the air and on their way to Japan.

The agent stared at the Marine with a calculating eye. He had read John's dossier when he was assigned as his handler. He was….interesting to say the least. A man who grew up under the tutelage of a 707 instructor and was going to go to the year long training program to become a 707 operator soon after his station in the Special Region.

Which in the grand scheme of things didn't seem like it was going to pan out as planned. The commanders were quite eager to have him and his best friend. Especially now after the ROKA-SWC had seen the helmet recordings. The move to clear the gate during the Battle of Italica as it was called had impressed the commanders enough that they could try to speed up the process, in their own unique way. Crazy the whole lot them.

Of course reading about John gave him a reason to look into his best friend, Jong Han and he was surprised at what he found. The history between the two was nearly identical. If John was there then so was Jong Han and if Jong Han was there then John was most certainly right there with him.

If anyone were to look at their history without knowing their relationship, they would think that the two were brothers. And it easy to be seen that way. The two trained under their mentor together, went to elementary, middle and high school together and they got parachute qualified together.

Now they were going to be 707 operators together. It wasn't an "if" but "how" they would become 707 operatives. Would they go through the traditional year long training? Or did the higher ups in the ROKA-SWC have something special in store for them?

Park Min found himself giddy at the thought. The upcoming weeks were going to be quite interesting if he had anything to say about it.

He was distracted from his musings by a rustle of paper. Looking down at the Marines hands he found a piece of paper in his hands, the blank envelope was tossed on the table.

"What's that?" He asked.

"A letter." John answered without looking up from the letter. He frowned as he read the contents of the letter. It wasn't too different from the usual letters but he found himself unsure how to feel about it.

When he was younger, he would read these letters in anger. Angry that his dad wouldn't call him, angry that he wouldn't contact him more. Angry that he never even met the man face to face. He couldn't even realize the feelings of his father because of it.

Now after experiencing more of the world or in his case worlds he found himself unsure on how to feel about him. Should he try to reconcile with him or maybe just keep as things have been done? He felt confused and even lost at some points on how to approach this.

"Talk to him."

John's head snapped up to his handler.

"...what?"

Park Min left out a sigh. "I have a kid too you know. Can't imagine what your dad's going through." He paused as he let it sink in. "Just for a bit, talk with the man. That's my suggestion."

"I'll...take it under consideration." He said, still looking conflicted. He didn't even question how the agent had known it was his dad.

* * *

"What the hell is going on here?" John mumbled as he got out of a car, his handler following close behind.

In front of him he found the entirety of Recon Team 3 standing around the front of the Gate, talking amicably. The only exception was Kuribayashi, who was yelling rather loudly. Though it wasn't enough for him to catch what she said.

As he approached them he zoned in on someone wearing a large trench coat. The unknown was flanked by two men in black suits. Most definitely not suspicious at all.

Still undetected by the team he decided to make his presence known in a semi-professional way, no curse words. He was still in uniform after all.

"So do all of you Japanese intelligence types wear a trench coat and have an escort of two men in black? Because man, you guys stand out like tits on a fish. As in, everyone wonders why it's there in the first place."

Much to John's surprise it was his marksman that reacted first and not the agents, which was disappointing. The tits on a fish joke was something he had been saving for a while.

"Lee! You're alive!"

He found himself strangely hurt at the greeting, he wasn't that fragile...was he?

His internal questioning unseen by the others he answered in his usual fashion albeit toned down. "Of course I'm alive. The doctors patched me up really nicely and quickly. See?" He lifted up the eyepatch before anyone could say anything.

To the recon team and the agents that surrounded them, the new eye wasn't much. Well considering the time frame they were impressed by the speed of recovery but other than that, not so much. Replacing organs and limbs have become commonplace practice in their current time.

To the others, namely those from the Special Region the sudden new addition was something unexpected.

Pina pointed at the new eye with in disbelief. "H-h-how?"

"What do you mean how? I got a new eye, simple." John shrugged as if it was the most simple thing in the world. Which to him it was.

She cried out in protest. "But I saw you get hit in the eye by an arrow barely a week ago!"

"You forget who we are Pina." John said smirking, repeating what he said a couple days prior. Seeing the princess however confused him. As far as he knew, Lelei and Chuka should've been the only ones here. Rory….well he wasn't too surprised. The princess and her blonde aide on the other hand was something he wasn't informed about.

"Hey, did you forget to tell me something?" John asked turning to his handler.

The man shook his head. "No, I told you everything I knew."

"Ah, I apologize. The Princess and her aide was a last minute addition, we didn't have time to inform you." The agent slightly bowed in apology though it lacked the sincerity of one.

Straightening himself out he introduced himself. "My name is Komakado. I'm with the Public Security Intelligence Agency, I look forward to working with you in the near future."

Park Min shoved his hands into his pants as he returned the greeting. "Park Min, National Intelligence Service."

The two didn't shake hands as they only stared each other down, oblivious to the others.

Seeing the two agents stare each other down John slowly backed up and turned around to face the team. To his surprise he found his most quiet Marine speak up before anyone else.

"...I took care of the squad while you were gone, sir."

Hearing the words out of the quiet man's mouth had John smiling in triumph. Finally, he was talking a bit more.

"Good work. Hope they weren't too much trouble." He eyed his best friend as he said that.

"It was….no problem." Bun Jing Hua said as he too eyed the eccentric corporal.

John hummed at the statement before he patted the sergeant on the shoulders. "Well good job anyway but if you don't mind, I'll retake my position as squad leader."

Receiving a nod John stepped past his second in command in order to reach the rest of the team.

He greeted them with a raised hand. "Hey, I'm back." It wasn't anything fancy, just straight to the point.

"Welcome back, hope you're ready for tomorrow." Itami said as he too greeted the Korean soldier.

An annoyed look crossed his face. "Yeah….well it's nothing I'm going to lose sleep about. I'll just get it over with and then go about my day."

Itami shook his head at that. He would be kind of person that would think a televised conference with the Diet was something to "just get it over with."

"I guess that's one way of looking at it." Itami admitted.

John nodded at Itami before he looked over at Kuribayashi who had a look of depression and disbelief etched on her face.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked to no one in particular.

Jong Han crossed his arm as he answered. "She's just in shock after hearing Itami's special forces. Oh and congrats on returning cyclops."

Not rising to the bait, he gave Itami a look over. "...mmmm yeah not even going to question that." He turned his attention back to Kuribayashi and walked up to her.

The team watched in amusement as the man snapped his fingers in front of her face, getting her attention in the process.

"Wha-?" She snapped her head to the person responsible. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh! welcome back sir." It was only afterwards that she realized her mistake.

"I mean, welcome back John."

He greeted her with a small smile. "Good to be back Shino-chan, did you have fun while I was drugged up on medication?"

"Well...no, not really. For the most part we spent most of the past week in Italica. Clean up has been….messy to say the least." She grimaced at remembering the thousands of blown to pieces corpses.

"Was it that bad?" He asked in worry as he led the short sergeant to the bus that would be their ride.

"Yeah, I guess seeing and touching a man's intestines and brain parts….." Her voice trailed off as the two entered the bus.

For a moment everyone watched dumbstruck as the duo talked to each other, oblivious to everyone else around them.

Kurata spoke up first. "What just happened?"

"John happened that's what." Drawled out Jong Han as he followed in after the two. He was used to his best friends antics by now.

Finally done with his staring contest Park Min gestured for them to get on the bus. "Alright enough standing around, get in the bus guys we're heading to the hotel to check in."

From his seat towards the rear of the bus John watched the rest of the group including the princess and her aide board the bus. For the most part everyone chose their seats at random, it wouldn't be that long of a ride to their hotel. Yet Chuka seemed adamant on sitting next to Itami, almost like she was clinging onto him.

Everyone knew that the elf was not the most stable minded individual after the destruction of her village and subsequently her father. So for the last couple months Kurokawa had been monitoring her closely, watching for any signs of distress. The illusions of her dead father and the insistence that the fire dragon was still alive was a troubling report. That along with the reoccurring nightmares had prompted the medic to take it up to Itami.

He didn't know what exactly the lieutenant had said but it had been enough for the usually calm medic to blow through a dozen magazines at the range at full auto. It was only after her rage induced mad minute, or rather minutes that anyone had the courage to ask what happened.

It didn't take a genius to have an idea, even a vague one on what Itami had said.

"You're treading on thin ice here with Chuka Itami. I hope you know what you're doing." He thought as he pulled his cap off and let it rest on his thighs.

Shaking the thought away he turned his attention back to Kuribayashi. "So did anything else happen while I was hospitalized?"

She hummed in thought before turning to the others. "Is there anything else that John should be informed about?"

Kim Tae Ha spoke up from her seat near the front of the bus. "Well the engineers had a field day at repairing the town."

John looked at his grenadier. "Engineers? You mean from the 5th Engineer Brigade?" Had to be, they were the only ones to have brought a sizable engineer force.

"Yeah." He nodded. "The majority of the 5th are in Italica right now along with a bunch of Marines pulling security. Come to think of it, I think we have the biggest presence there."

John looked surprised at the news. "Really? Huh, that's weird. I figured the Japanese would be all over Italica by now, considering it's value."

"Well it was kind of a first come first serve kind of thing." Itami said as he joined in on the conversation. "Don't you remember John? The Blackhawks dropped off a bunch of Marines on the wall."

John frowned as he struggled to remember. Everything was hazy after his eye had been hit by the arrow. Or rather it was better to say things were more of a gigantic blur than anything else. It was hard to pick out a specific memory from after his injury. Most likely due to a mixture of stress, adrenaline and the injection.

"I don't really remember things that clearly after my injury. Just a blur of everything."

"Was it because of the injury?" Rory asked from her seat across from John.

He nodded. "That along with the stress, adrenaline and injection."

"Injection?" The girls seemed curious at the mentioning of an injection.

"Well…." He looked a bit lost on how to properly explain the injections and the various types. Nanomachines could be a tricky thing to explain.

It was at this point that Kurokawa spoke up. "To understand the injections and the various types you have to know what's inside the bodies of a Korean soldier." Seeing the attentive looks of the girls she continued. "Inside them are nanobots or simply put, very small machines that you can't see with your eyes."

"What these machines do is allow each person in the squad to monitor each other's condition, things like stress, injuries and heart rate. That's all, just monitor their bodies. The injections on the other hand inject a small amount of specialized nanobots."

She held up two fingers. "There are two injections that are standard, Adrenaline and Medical. The adrenaline shot gives a temporary boost a soldier's performance while the medical shot accelerates the healing process of any injuries. Although for the most part the standard medical injections only really stop the bleeding."

Truth be told she was really giving them the baseline explanations for the injections but there was no need to go deeper. It would only serve to confuse the girls. They would understand the basic functions and that was enough.

"Is that what John used during the battle?" Chuka asked, remembering the brief incident where the medic and sergeant were arguing about his condition.

"Yep, and it worked great. Couldn't feel a thing afterwards." That was one of his clearer memories. The injection and almost immediate numbness to his face.

"What about the other injections? You said there were 2 standard injections, what about the nonstandard ones?" Lelei asked in her quiet voice.

Kurokawa answered with surprising ease. "Well those are given to the special forces units, the elite top tier soldiers. Those injections are much more complicated in their functions and potent as well as expensive."

She went on to elaborate. "Those injections include enhancing speed, reaction time, strength and even vision and hearing. Now after it's debut in the Reunification War, special forces units have adopted the injections as another tool in their arsenal."

"Why aren't the injections permanent? Wouldn't that be more cost effective?"

Kurokawa frowned at the question. "Well yes it is. The problem is that we haven't found a way to increase the longevity of the nanobots. The act of enhancing a trait of a soldier ends up burning out the machines. Even the long term nanobots have a short lifetime. At maximum 4 years before they too start breaking down."

Lelei hummed at the answer before turning to Itami. "Itami, does the SDF use injections too?

He shook his head. "No, Japan doesn't have a need for it. We haven't gone to war in a very long time and our presence in the Special Region was the biggest military operation we've taken in the past hundred years." Their support of American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan wasn't what could be counted as a large scale military operation in comparison.

Rory crossed her arms. "Why is that? With a military like your I expected the Japanese to have a bigger military influence."

"Well isn't that a loaded question." Itami muttered. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Well the reason is that Japan isn't allowed to go to war. That's why we have a self defense force rather than a traditional military." And it didn't seem like that would change anytime soon. People were happy with the way things were.

"Isn't allowed?" Pina titled her head in confusion.

"Well…." Itami trailed off. This could get very long. Thankfully Jong Han of all people had the answer.

"They lost a war and the winners decided that Japan, as one of the aggressors should be stripped of its right to declare war." Keeping it simple for simplicity sake.

"Yeah...well that's pretty much it actually." Itami admitted. It was a very basic and bare bones explanation but it got the point across. Japan was a nation that primarily focused on self defense. Their training and the strategies they employed ensured that.

Korea however was a bit of different story.

"Hmmm...so what about the Koreans? How do they compare against Japan?" Rory's fixation on their military strength seemed to come to a head once again.

Itami scratched his head as he silently redirected the question to the people who were actually in the Korean military.

Sighing John spoke up from his seat besides Kuribayashi. "Do you want the truth Rory?"

He only received an eager nod.

"We're about equal in most aspects. Although overall I'd like to think we're a better fighting force, more experienced too."

"..."

"Is that it?" She tentatively asked after a few moments. She expecting more, a lot more.

"Yup." He relaxed into the seat. "Ask again in a couple days when we leave for Korea. I'll give you a long, descriptive and exhausting explanation."

She crossed her arms and huffed. "I'll make sure to do that then."

He saw her turn away with a pout. He mentally shrugged at that. Chances were she'd probably forget by then.

His musings were cut off by the bus stopping.

"Well that was quick." He thought as he found their hotel for the next few days. It looked fancy as all hell judging by the entrance.

"No way! This Conrad Tokyo Hotel!" His attention turned to a very excited Kurata pressing up against the window. Suddenly he whipped his head towards their handlers.

"Are we staying here?!"

"Yes it is. I'm glad that it's to your liking." Replied Komakado as he stood up. He stood at the very front of the bus and looked on at the rest of the occupants.

"As you all have probably figured out by now, we're about to check into the hotel but before I do I'm just going to gloss over some ground rules." He coughed into his hands.

"Firstly be inside the hotel by 2100 hours. If something comes up, then call either myself or my associate, Park Min. Secondly be up by 0700 for breakfast tomorrow. Afterwards we need to head straight over to the conference building. And thirdly, after the conference you'll be given two days of vacation time before taking a plane to Osan Air Base." Finishing his part he stepped aside, letting the Korean agent take over.

Standing in almost the exact same spot he continued on. "Once you land in Osan Air Base you'll be taken to the meeting between you and the Korean and US president, details will be given to you soon." He paused as he let the information sink in.

Hearing the door swing open he tapped the seat next him. "Alright now let's go get ourselves checked in. Then we can turn you guys loose for the rest of the day." With that the two agents hopped off the bus and made their way into the hotel.

Everyone else trickled in behind as they carried their luggage of extra clothes.

As they entered the reception area, they gained the attention of everyone present. Like hawks the civilian stared at the group in wonder. Their main focus turned to Rory who was carrying her massive halberd. Thankfully it was wrapped up.

"I can't believe I'm actually staying here." Oblivious to the stares Kurata seemed to be on the verge of screaming out in happiness.

Kuribayashi let out an annoyed sigh. "Oh get over it. It's only for a few days." And it was only for the nights too considering their schedule during the day.

"I will not simply "get over it," this is a five star hotel." He turned to Pops and Tomita. "You know what I mean right?"

Seeing his expectant face Pops offered a small smile. "Sure, a nice five star hotel." Nice didn't do it justice.

From his place besides Bozes Tomita offered the driver something else. "No, I would've been fine as long as my basic needs were met." And this hotel far exceeded what could be called a person's basic need.

Kurata looked offended at the answer before Itami began dragging him to the desk. It was time to check into their rooms.

One by one the soldiers stepped up to the desk to receive their room cards. Finally the residents from the Special Region stepped forward.

Lelei was the first one up.

The agents didn't even need to help as she effortlessly received her card. After a thank you accompanied by a short bow, she moved over to where the females of the team were waiting at.

Next was Rory who walked up the desk with her usual smile. Which usually had the opposite effect of a normal smile. As in, it made everyone nervous.

"My name is Rory Mercury, Apostle of Emroy and very pleased in meeting you."

Hearing the name the worker tapped her computer screen, marking that the person had checked in. "H-here's your card, room 435." Stuttering the worker gave the childlike apostle her card and quickly gestured for someone else to come up.

Taking a spot next to the females Rory looked on as the worker hurried the next person up.

"Well isn't she a rude one. Didn't even introduce herself when I did." She eyed the female worker as she gave Chuka her card and room number.

Kim Han Yoon spoke up from her spot behind her. "She's probably nervous from having all of us check in at once. We're not exactly what you call a normal group of people." In actuality the worker was probably nervous because of Rory herself, not the team. Not that she would say that.

Last in line was the princess and her aide, Bozes. After a bit of fumbling and struggling they received their own cards. Holding their cards in their hands in an awkward manner they walked up the group of females.

Seeing the last of the girls get their cards they began to move to their assigned rooms after finding out that they were right next to each other.

It was quite amusing for the female soldiers of Recon Team 3 as they saw the awed faces of the girls. Something simple as an elevator was deemed something of interest. It got even more amusing when they actually reached their rooms.

"What is this?!"

"Where's the hole?!"

And amidst the confusion the female soldiers watched on as they struggled to contain their laughter.

This was great.

It quickly became not so great when Rory kicked down the door in frustration.

* * *

"Out!"

Komakado tried to placate the angry manager. "But sir you must understand-"

"No! I perfectly understand that you and your guests lack common sense!"

The girls along with the female soldiers were standing on the streets now, much to their embarrassment. With their luggage in their hands they found the ground much more interesting than the angry manager.

He took a deep breath. They flinched as they waited for the next round of yelling. To their relief he continued in a calmer tone. "However the men can stay. They hold no responsibility for the immature and brash actions of the females." Turning around the man stomped away.

After seeing the retreating back of the manager Komakado turned around to face the girls with a blank expression.

"What have you done?" He mumbled. He didn't even let them answer. "Do you know the amount of paperwork and reprimand I'm going to get from this? I-I just might get fired for this."

They let the Japanese agent have his moment. Besides him Park Min merely sighed at the recent turn of events.

"Well...let's call the bus back. We need to find another hotel for them, shouldn't be too hard." Park Min said in finality.

Suddenly they heard the door open. Looking up they found John standing there with an unreadable expression.

They found him out of his uniform and into his civilian clothes. For the cold weather he looked well underdressed with a simple pair of black sneakers, jeans and a white v-neck t-shirt. However his state of dress was partially explained by the steaming cup of coffee his hand.

"So…" He started off. "I heard Rory got too excited and kicked the door down." With a free hand he gestured for the gathered crowd to get moving, to which they did.

A moment passed as the background noise of the city along with the occasional sipping of coffee overtook the group.

After taking a breath of air he addressed them. "Itami is currently talking with the manager right now." He took another sip. "So I'm gonna head inside, maybe I can say something that'll help."

The agents didn't say anything letting the man have his moment.

"I apologize."

They turned to Rory in surprise. She looked away as she fiddled with the handle of her halberd in an awkward manner. She wasn't used to apologizing.

"Well I'm not sure who you're apologizing to but it's no big deal." John gave her a lazy thumbs up. "Problem solving is a specialty of a Korean Marine."

After taking another sip of his coffee he turned around and opened the door. Ducking inside and away from the cold, he held the door open for the rest.

Quickly taking the silent invitation they hurried inside. As they stepped back into the warm building they saw John make his way towards Itami and the manager.

For a while they saw the three males converse quietly. The manager seemed adamant that the girls leave despite being told their origins.

The agents were about to call it quits but held their decision when Itami and John ambled over to the group.

Itamu cleared his throat. "So in the end we managed to persuade the manager into allowing everyone to stay. Kinda."

They all looked confused at that. "Kinda? What do you mean?"

Itami looked at the Korean agent and scratched his head. "Well we're allowed to stay the night but that's it. After the conference tomorrow we'll be expected to get out."

Park Min frowned as he heard the news. It was disappointing knowing that they had to move hotels but at least now he and Komakado weren't scrambling to come up with a solution. Now they had bit more time to organize this mess and find a suitable hotel.

Sighing in resignation he turned to his Japanese colleague.

"What do you think?" Though he already knew the answer.

Komakado's response was muffled as his face was buried in the palms of his hands. "I'll take what I can get at this point. It's better than being kicked out unto the street."

Park Min languidly nodded at the answer before turning to the girls. "The front desk should know your new rooms by now. Go up and get your room cards and this time, please ask if you don't know how something works." The last part took a pleading tone. He didn't want any more trouble.

As the girls moved to the front desk to get their room cards Park Min gestured for Komakado to follow them. He wanted to be absolutely sure that nothing crazy would happen again.

Nodding in acceptance the Japanese agent fell in behind the girls, silently watching over them.

* * *

John sighed as he relaxed on the bed. In the background the low sounds of the TV drifted throughout the luxurious room. He glanced at the sappy romance drama that was playing before thinking back to the girls when they were settling into their rooms for the second time.

Thankfully they had been placed in the same rooms as before. The only exception was Rory and her roommate Kurokawa. The reason being that their previous room was missing a door, courtesy of the childlike apostle.

Instead they were given a room with a single bed but at this point no one was in a mood to complain, they were on thin ice as is. Any more and they'd probably be thrown out. Then again they were being thrown out regardless, just not today.

"I really hope those two got their shit together and sorted this shit out." He thought as he rolled out of his bed. Standing up, he moved over to one of the chairs that looked out into the city. Plopping himself down in a haphazard manner he turned his gaze to the brightly lit city beyond the window.

Night had descended upon Tokyo.

It wasn't all that different from Seoul really, the nightlife that is. Both bustled with activity that lasted long into the night.

You either got used to it or hated it. And he hated it.

The night was the time he used to wind down from the days events and also prepare for what the next day would bring. That's what he believed and that's exactly why he was the only person to have stayed behind.

John craned his head backwards. The clock next to the bed read 1947 hours. 2100 hours was the cutoff time.

He was tempted to call them but honestly, they could go fuck themselves.

It was strange, as the day went on he became more and more agitated. It took everything he had to not strangle Rory when she had kicked down the door. Of course that was besides the fact that he would get his ass kicked by the girl if he tried.

It was thought that counted.

He hadn't shown his...displeasure of course. For various reasons, the biggest of which was that he didn't know why he was so fucking agitated. If he knew the reason why then he would've most definitely shown his anger and frustration.

But he didn't and pissed him off even more.

He would freely admit that he wasn't the most composed of individuals. Hell no but he liked to think that he had good grasp of himself and the way he felt and acted.

Today was different.

Was it the conference?

Was it losing an eye?

Maybe it's because of the fucking spooks?

Or perhaps it because of meeting the United States and Korean president?

All these questions ran through his head. And he didn't have single fucking answer to any of them. Pathetic.

He didn't know how long he stayed that way. Head bent backwards and arms crossed over his head. But it got to the point where he just couldn't stand it anymore.

He needed help.

He was in process of pulling his phone out when it rang.

Checking the caller ID he found it was his handler calling him.

Swiping the screen he pressed the phone against his ears. "Hello?"

"...Itami and the others aren't going to sleep at the hotel." His voice sounded tired, almost like he was on the verge of giving up for the night.

He sighed in response, this shit was getting old. "Why?"

Well on the bright side he would have a room to himself.

"His ex wife, shit happened. They're sleeping over."

"All of them?"

A heavy sigh could be heard. "No, Kurata, Kurokawa and Pops are going back. Just to name a few."

"What about my guys? Are they staying over?"

"Only Jong Han and Kim Tae Ha."

He bit his lips, calm down. He kept his voice as level as it could be but even so he could hear the slight waver in his tone.

"Alright, thanks for telling me. See you tomorrow."

"Good night." With that the call ended.

Immediately afterwards he dialed a familiar number. It wasn't long before an all too familiar feminine voice was heard.

"Hello?"

He licked his lips, why was he so nervous all of the sudden? "H-h-" He cleared his throat, start over.

"Hey mom, its me….can we talk for a bit?"

* * *

Well this was a filler chapter if I ever saw one but hey, no need to rush. I mean shit, compared to some of the other stories I'm way ahead in terms pacing. Looking back I probably could've slowed down a bit during my first chapters.

Speaking of the first couple chapters, I'm rewriting them. Like the first two, almost a complete rewrite. Not sure about the third but chances are it's probably gonna be changed in some way too because rereading the first few chapters I realized, they're shit. Like they were disjointed and awkward. Didn't flow very well. So I'm redoing them. God damn a beta would be nice but eh, I'll make due.

In fact I already have the first rewrite of chapter one finished so if your interested go back and reread it. That's my suggestion anyway, it's so much better than the original and about 2 thousand words longer.

Until next time guys, Merry Christmas and happy holidays.


	6. The Diet Summons

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All I own are the OCs and yadda yadda. You all know the drill.

A/N: Don't much to say except that the rewrite of chapter two is done and already uploaded so check that out if you want to. Rewrite of chapter three is coming along nicely too, mostly because I didn't completely suck with that chapter. Just gotta tidy some things up and I'll be done.

Anyway on to the chapter.

* * *

Park Min fiddled with his tie as he heard the commotion beyond the wooden double doors. Anxiously he pulled up the time on his phone.

0852.

Only eight more minutes until the conference started. Only eight more minutes until Recon Team 3 had to step into the spotlight.

He looked at Komakado as he let out a shuddering breath. He couldn't imagine how nervous the team felt if they, the two agents who weren't even being questioned felt this nervous.

A loud sigh drew his attention to Itami.

The lieutenant was rubbing the back of his neck as he stared at his own phone. No doubt counting down the minutes.

Even John who had previously said that he would "get this over with" was showing his nerves with his arms crossed as he impatiently tapped his arm with his fingers.

Everyone else was showing their nerves too and with good reason. They were about to be questioned on live TV and would be at the center of attention of the millions that were watching.

To say it was nerve wracking was an understatement.

It was especially unfortunate for John and Itami who would be the two unofficial "representatives" of their teams. John represented the Koreans as his position as squad leader while Itami represented the Japanese along with being the highest ranking officer of the team. Asides from the girls they would no doubt be the ones under the most scrutiny.

In the back of his mind he also hoped that the closed door meeting with the princess was going well. She would at the forefront of the upcoming peace talks between them and the Empire.

Everything had to go perfectly.

He was drawn out of his thoughts when Komakado tapped his shoulders.

"It's time."

It was 0900 on the dot. Game time.

He nodded at the Japanese agent before they simultaneously opened the double doors. As they held the door open they silently wished the best for the recon team.

* * *

As John walked through the open doors he felt a myriad of emotions coursing through him. Annoyance and nervousness being at the top of his swirling pot of emotions.

Last night's talk with his mother didn't help much. However he couldn't complain. The only thing he could do was to suck it up and push through the day.

He grit his teeth as he felt the gaze of the cameras. It annoyed him that this was televised however despite how he felt he managed to keep a neutral face. He had lots of practice from yesterday. Hopefully it was enough, he really didn't want to blow a fuse on TV.

His confidence in himself dropped a bit when he saw the face of one Mizuki Kohara. In the brief moment where their eyes had met, he quickly had to crush the urge to strangle her. The smug look on her face almost had him jumping out of seat.

Almost but not quite. The death grip he had on the chair was just enough to work out some of the aggression. Although he was sure the clean up crews would have a wonderful time figuring out how the metal chair was bent in such a manner.

"Buddha help my soul because I swear to baby Jesus I'm gonna choke the bitch." The thought was of course left unsaid. No one needed to know about his thoughts. Hell there were times where he wished he didn't know his own thoughts.

Heaving out a low sigh he took a glance at his surroundings.

To his right sat Itami and to his left sat the rest of the girls. They would be the ones under the most scrutiny, which sucked. Everyone else was placed at a separate area across from John, Itami and the girls.

Well thankfully John had one thing going for him and that was his ambiguity. Compared to Itami who was the Hero of Ginza and the girls who was from the Special Region, he was a person of low interest.

Few people knew the identity of the Korean Marines that were active during the Ginza Incident. Their identities were kept under the lid for the most part and now John was grateful. If all went well then the majority of the questioning would be done by Itami and the girls.

It was wasn't long after the last person had sat down when a person called everyone to attention.

"May those called for this conference please stand and identify yourselves."

In unison the recon team stood up and turned towards the podium. Itami was the first to introduce himself, not that he really needed to. He was quite famous after all.

"I am First Lieutenant Youji Itami. Currently assigned to the Japanese contingent investigating the Special Region and leader of Recon Team Three." His voice lacked the relaxed tone he always spoke with, his nervousness was starting to show.

"Witness Itami, please sit." With a silent nod he quickly moved off the podium and sat back down at his seat.

From his peripherals John saw him heave out a deep breath. This was just the beginning and it absolutely sucked.

Breathing out through his nose John walked up to the podium, recognizing his turn. He did his best to keep a neutral face but the flashes of cameras and the sheer weight of attention was grating on his nerves.

Finally reaching the podium he momentarily glanced at the crowd filled with government officials from both Korean and Japan. To his surprise he even found Lieutenant General Hazama amongst the crowd.

Wincing at the bright lights he narrowed his lone eye and gripped the edges of the wooden podium. While maintaining eye contact with the cameras he leaned a bit forward so his voice could be clearly heard through the microphone.

"I am Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. Squad Leader of first squad, third platoon of the 1st Marine Regiment currently deployed to the Special Region. And currently attached to the Third Recon Team." Another thing that pissed him off, the use of his Korean name. This was a formal event and as such his real name had to be used.

"Witness Lee Jun Hyung, please sit."

He ignored the looks he got from the Japanese members of the team as he made his way to his seat next to Itami.

Sitting down with a neutral look that belied his stormy thoughts, he looked at the podium as the rest of the team began their own introductions.

Seeing him sit down Itami leaned over and spoke to him in a whisper. "So that's your Korean name. Wasn't that hard to say it now is it?"

He didn't break eye contact from the podium as he lowly growled at the man.

"I will end your soul if you start using my Korean name."

Itami gave him an astonished look. "Whoa there, where did that come from?" He backed off bit, giving the man some breathing space. Was his nerves getting the best of him?

John glanced at Itami before letting out a heavy sigh. "Sorry about that. Just not feeling good today." The excuse was lame and he knew it but thankfully Itami let it pass. They had more pressing concerns to worry about.

"It's fine. Let's just focus on the conference."

John couldn't help but agree with the statement. With everyone finished introducing themselves the questioning would begin. They had to watch what they said, a simple slip up could end in a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

It was something that was repeated and drilled into their heads by the agents prior to stepping into the conference room.

He had to calm down, questions were going to be asked and he needed to keep a level head. If only it was as easy as it sounded. The pileup of volatile emotions stirring inside him was on the fast track to breaking the surface. Something he had to avoid at all costs with the world watching.

Soon an aged man kicked off the hearing. "We are here today to hear the testimonies of the witnesses of the incidents within the Special Region. Most particularly the deaths of the refugees during the opening weeks of the incursion into the Special Region. I yield the floor to Diet member Kohara Mizuki for the first rounds of questions."

An older looking female took the stage. The first thing she did wasn't asking a question but rather read off a series of numbers off of her touchpad.

"150 civilian deaths during the Coda Village evacuation. Another two dozen from various smaller incidents that the other recon teams had encountered. And finally 62 civilian deaths during the Battle of Italica. Of which 15 of them are friendly fire incidents." She finally looked up from her touchpad. "This is to all the servicemen and women here. In this day and age where a multitude of measures have been taken in order to reduce civilian casualties how can so many people be killed in a matter of a few days? Of which 15 are from our own weapons?"

After a moment of silence Itami raised his hand before getting recognized.

"Witness Itami to the stand." And so Itami made his way back up to the podium.

As he stood on the literal and figurative pedestal he let out a deep breath. "As unfortunate as it is, civilian casualties are bound to follow any sort of conflict. However in regards to the Coda Village evacuation, while I hold regrets for so many deaths, think myself and Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung did our best with what we had in saving those who were saved."

"And do you think that Recon Team 3 could have done better in order to protect the evacuees?"

Itami cleared his throat, perhaps he genuinely had to or more likely, to stall for a complete answer. "In hindsight we all think that we could've done something better but during the evacuation I believe that we did our best to work with what we had."

And considering that, they did an admirable job in killing the dragon and saving the villagers.

"I see, thank you First Lieutenant Itami." With that Itami bowed and sat back down.

She tapped something on her touchpad before speaking. "This is a question directed to Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung."

John lightly clicked his tongue in annoyance as he walked up to the podium. As he stood straight with his hands clasped at the small of his back, he could see that his eyepatch was something of interest by the officials, no doubt that would come up sooner or later.

"Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung, you are the squad leader of your squad. Am I correct?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"I see and during the evacuation the report given by First Lieutenant Itami had stated that you went against direct orders for radio silence. Please explain."

He could see the small smirks on the faces of a few Japanese officials, the fuckers. "First Lieutenant Itami called for radio silence because he was afraid that Alpha would reject the refugees. Up until the point of my insubordination we were operating without the acknowledgment of Alpha and as such had no support in case we ran into the Type-1." He took a breath before continuing. "I broke the order for radio silence due to the fact that the Type-1 was still known to be in the area we were operating in. And that at the time we didn't know if our heavy weapons were up to the task of combating the Type-1."

"So why didn't you speak to First Lieutenant Itami beforehand to work out a better plan instead of acting on your own?"

"Because I believed that immediate actions were needed to be taken in order to protect both the team and the refugees."

Still she wouldn't budge. "But in the end 150 people still died during the evacuation. Care to explain?"

He narrowed his eyes at the tone her voice had taken at the end. He spoke slowly, deliberately for everyone to hear.

"With radio silence broken I called in the confirmation that indirect fire Package Romeo was capable in supporting the evacuation. With it I called in the strike that killed the Type-1. Without it the fight would've dragged on longer and with it more civilian casualties. Without Package Romeo the Type-1 may have even been able to escape afterwards, perhaps go on another rampage somewhere else. Like perhaps another village...or a less equipped recon team." In other words, the dragon died and most of the refugees lived. So shut the fuck up.

"I see thank you for your answer."

He let out an inward sigh of relief, he was done.

"But still have one more question for Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung."

Fuck.

Still keeping a neutral expression he nodded at her statement. Just one more.

"Thank you." She lightly coughed into her hands. "In regards to the Battle of Italica, Recon Team 3 along with the city defenders managed to hold back a bandit force of 8 thousand until reinforcements could arrive, which was roughly 15 minutes away. During the battle Recon Team 3 employed the use of one Lelei La Lelena, Chuka Luna Marceau and Rory Mercury. All of whom are mere children and of which Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung was the "handler" of Rory Mercury." She ended her tirade with a slight pant.

"Would you care to explain about the use of child soldiers?"

For a moment he simply stared at her before taking a step back. "I cede the floor to Lelei La Lelena."

"Wha-?" She sputtered. Everyone was surprised at the sudden change. But before she could say anything in protest the soldier was already at his seat and the diminutive girl was on stage.

She frowned at the man but only got a deathly glare in return. Turning away from the pissed off soldier she turned her attention to the blue haired girl.

"I can answer the question." Her voice was small, monotone but still held incredible weight behind it. Her very nature made sure of that.

Receiving a nod she picked up where John had left off, in Japanese no less which surprised many. "I am first and foremost a nomad, as such I am considered to be an adult in my world. I can drink alcohol, get married and have children and yes I can fight if I so choose to. In regards to Chuka, she is an elf and elves are known for their longevity. Her looks may say otherwise but she is already over a hundred years old."

They all looked taken aback at the load of information. "Y-yes but then what about Rory Mercury? You can't possibly say she isn't a child."

Only a few noticed the disdainful look on Rory's face.

"Actually she's the oldest one here with her being 961 years old." Lelei said matter of factly.

The information had shocked everyone into silence, even those watching through the various media outlets. The thought of living for a millenia was unfathomable.

It took Kohara a long moment before she was able to ask anything else. "...How?"

Lelei answered without hesitation, this was basic knowledge for her. "As she said when she introduced herself, Rory is the Apostle of Emroy, a demigod. After about a thousand years an apostle leaves their physical body to become a god themselves, you cannot attach the concept of life to her kind."

She didn't need to continue on, no need to. Everyone could make the connections and come the conclusion that Rory Mercury was a being that bathed in conflict. Not a child despite her looks.

It was a certain eye opener to both those in the room and those watching through the media outlets. Their concept of "normal" had to thrown out when dealing with the Special Region. It was simply too different for what a "normal" society was accustomed to.

"I see." She mumbled, still at a loss for a proper response. Instead she moved on to her next question, which coincidentally was meant for Lelei and the girls.

"So on to our next question Lelena-san. I'm told that you currently reside in a refugee camp that's under the care of the SDF and Koreans, is that correct?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Then during your stay, have you felt that anything was lacking?"

She shook her head. "No, all my needs have been met. I have a place to sleep, eat and bathe and my spiritual needs have been met."

Nonetheless Kohara pressed forward. "Are you being treated fairly?"

She tilted her head in confusion. Why wouldn't she be? "Yes I am. The soldiers treat the refugees humanely and kindly, they have helped us greatly in the last few months."

It was a simple question for Lelei but for the world it had a different, deeper meaning. Everyone still remembered the swarm of refugees that attempted to flee the murderous battles during the Reunification War.

But now they had the answer that put their fears and worries to rest.

* * *

For a while John stayed glued to his seat as he watched the rest of the team be called up for their turn on the podium. Their time on the podium went by quick, in the end the stars of the show was Itami and the girls.

The questioner had changed again, this time it was a Korean official that took the stage.

John eyed the younger looking female official with a wary glance. There wasn't anything outstanding about her to warrant caution but something told him that they needed to be extra careful around her.

"First Lieutenant Itami please take the stage." Her voice was firm, almost authoritarian in nature.

Wordlessly standing up Itami made his way to the podium for the second time.

Seeing as Itami was on the podium she began her questioning.

"Recently Lieutenant General Hazama has given the order to set up forward firebases throughout the Special Region. Reports say a dozen have been set up by the ROK Marines under orders from the general only to have JSDF personnel replace the Marines for over half of them. A rather bold move for a country seeking reparations from the emperor."

Itami could only blink as he filtered in the information.

"Ugh it might be best if you ask Lieutenant General Hazama instead of me. I'm not really privy to that kind of information." He rubbed the back of his head as he said that. He really didn't want to put the general on the spot but he simply didn't have a proper answer without guessing.

Seeing the attention of everyone in the room the general silently stood up.

He clasped his hands behind his back as he answered in a calm manner.

"The reason why the JSDF soldiers has replaced the Marines in many of the firebases is because of the FOB that has been set up in the town of Italica. Which mind you is primarily under control of the Korean forces. Right now they simply don't have the manpower to man all the bases without spreading themselves dangerously thin. Hence why Brigadier General Bak Myun Jie and I have decided to rotate our forces in such a manner."

The female stared at the general for any lies. Finding none she nodded and turned back towards Itami.

"Thank you First Lieutenant Itami and Lieutenant General Hazama for answering my question. You may be seated."

And so the two men took their seats, both somewhat glad to not be under the calculating gaze of the female.

"My final question is to Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung."

Sighing at his name being called, John walked up to the podium in a crisp and fluid manner. Once again he leaned a bit forward for the microphones.

"This question is in regards to the Battle of Italica in which Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung was mortally wounded by an arrow to the eye. Now, do you think that the injury you received could have been prevented if the Korean Marines were deployed with the standard equipment instead of the second hand gear the Marines were issued."

John frowned at the question. It was a tricky question considering the Marines were fighting with equipment that was leagues ahead of the Japanese. Of course there was also the nature of their enemy.

He had to word his thoughts carefully.

"In regards to the injury I received, I believe it was our...shortcomings in the logistics department than the equipment we were issued." Receiving a nod he continued. "You see Korea and Japan has relatively little experience in deploying our military overseas. Asides from the minimal support from both countries to the US during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have little experience. The JSDF especially considering the century long peace that Japan has enjoyed thus far and the most recent test of Korea's logistics was during the Reunification War. In which we also received support from the United States." Say what you will about the US but the logistics side of warfare was something they've perfected.

The young female nodded. "So you believe that it was poor logistics that caused your injury?"

Mentally he winced, he probably could've worded that better.

"In a roundabout way, perhaps but we shouldn't start pointing fingers because of this. Casualties are bound to happen during any extended engagement, even against an opponent such as the Empire." That being said, it would've saved Recon Team 3 a lot of future grey hairs if a couple MBTs were spared for the defense.

The girl nodded. "I see thank you. This concludes my questionnaire." With that she bowed and took her seat. Something John followed immediately as he moved out of the spotlight.

Only to be called back out as an older JSDF officer had taken the stage.

As he stood upon the podium he couldn't help but feel as if he was being singled out. Out of all the Marines here why the hell was he picked? Needless to say he was reaching his the end of the rope.

The man leaned down to speak into the microphone.

"During the Battle of Italica it was the Koreans who were at the forefront of the defense with Marine reinforcements arriving at the town before anyone else. Then afterwards it was the Korean engineering brigade that took over repairs of Italica and eventually even setting up an FOB within the town, as previously mentioned. For a nation that has said to be in the support of the JSDF, the Korean forces seem awfully busy."

What's your goal, was the unasked question.

Of course John had to wonder why the hell he was the one being asked. He was in a hospital bed for half of those events and the guy expected him to have the full picture? Completely asinine.

Also, were they really doing this? Bringing up old rivalries into a hearing about the Special Region. Especially that girl before the old JSDF official. Her question hid some hostility behind it too.

He gripped the edges of podium tightly. "It was only coincidence that the Marines were the closest to Italica and if I'm not mistaken the JSDF also rolled in not long afterwards. As for the engineers...does it not make sense that the Koreans were the ones tasked with repairing Italica when you consider that Japan didn't send in their own engineers?"

Not a brigade anyway, Japan had sent in engineers for sure but not an entire brigade.

The man evaded the question as he pressed forward. "What about the FOB that was set up in Italica?"

"This guy." John thought in annoyance before taking a breath to calm himself down. It only partially worked.

"Why don't you ask Lieutenant General Hazama, I'm sure you'll believe him more than me." He couldn't help the angry tone his voice had taken. The volatile mix of emotions was beginning to seep through the facade that he had worn up until now.

The audience recoiled back in surprise before turning towards the Japanese general.

With a near silent groan the general stood to his full height before frowning. It was almost as if he was reluctant to say his next words.

"The Marines were vital in the defense of Italica. If they weren't there then the town would've most certainly fallen, comprising any future operations in the area. They moved quickly, secured the town and began the reconstruction of Italica. As they did so they began making bridges with the local populace, it's only natural that a Korean FOB was set up there."

Suddenly one of the Korean officials raised their hands before getting acknowledged.

As he stood up he glanced down at a touchpad before speaking. "I would also like to add that the FOB was set up at the request of Countess Formal, the current head of the Formal Clan that is responsible for the well-being of Italica."

With his part done the man sat back down.

From the podium John saw a small smirk appear on the face of the Korean official.

They really were doing this….

For moment the aged man looked between the general and official in silence before stepping down, he was finished and so was John.

As John sat back down next to Itami the same man who had started the hearing took the stage once more.

"With the final round of questions asked, this hearing has finally come to a close. I thank all of you for coming today to ask your questions and I thank the servicemen and women for answering in a polite and professional manner. Please exit in an orderly fashion with the ones closest to the doors going out first." With that the wooden double doors opened.

Recon Team 3 and the girls were the among the first ones out the door, leaving everyone else to trickle out of the room.

As John stepped out of the building he took a deep breath of the cold November air. As he did so he could feel himself relax both physically and mentally. Now he was feeling only somewhat pissed off. Great.

He tensed up as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around he found Jong Han standing there as he retracted his hand.

"You good?" He finally asked in a plain tone.

Seemed like the hearing had worn him out too. Not surprising considering most of Recon Team 3 was ready to crash on their comfy hotel beds. Except they couldn't because they had to move hotels. Thank you Rory.

He shrugged in response. "Somewhat, at the very least I'm in no danger of embarrassing myself on TV."

He still felt agitated in general but he couldn't exactly lose his shit just because the hearing was done. For one he was still in uniform and as such still had to behave at least somewhat decently in public.

The second and perhaps the most important reason was that he was within hearing and sight of his squad. Keeping morale up started with the squad leader, he couldn't have them start worrying about his personal issues on top of everything else that had been going on.

So he would talk more when he and Jong Han had some privacy.

His friend gave him a knowing smirk. "Yeah, I noticed. You were pretty close weren't you?"

John nodded, not ashamed in admitting it. Then again, when you know a person for over 20 years you tend to run out of the principle of shame when around that person.

"It would've been amazing to see you lose it and go on a rant while on live TV." He added.

John clicked his tongue at the thought of doing so. "Right and I'll be famous all around the world for being "that guy" who lost his shit on TV."

He simply shrugged in response as he reached over and lightly patted John's shoulder. "Even so I'll still love you man. Doesn't matter if you're famous or not, you'll always be my honey boo."

John snorted in response. "Keep talking like that and we'll see who gets famous first you square faced queer-bagel."

Jong Han let out a low whistle. "Wow, never used that one before. Square faced queer-bagel? You're lucky everyone else is too busy talking to Pina and her blonde butt buddy to hear that. Otherwise they'd all be questioning your moral and mental standards."

Hearing Pina being mentioned John took a glance behind him and found that they were talking quite excitedly. About what he didn't know nor did he really care to know.

"Fuck my standards man. I'm cold, I'm angry, I'm-"

"Horny?"

John shrugged as he switched over to English in his haste to continue. "That too but point is, I'm not in the right state of mind to converse with anyone right now. All I want is some hot cocoa and some poon to go with it."

Jong Han threw up his arm in a gesture to point at Kuribayashi. "Nigga, it's right there. Just dive in there she ain't gonna do shit."

By now he had switched completely to English too.

John held up a finger as he waved it through the air. "First of all you can't use that word. The black community has not permitted you to use that coveted word, _nigga_. And second of all, she's a Jap and I'm a Kimchi. We don't mix together. What the hell do you think our CO is gonna think when he hears I bent a Jap over desk and fucked her ahegao style hmm?"

Jong Han mimicked him as he waved a finger in the air. "First of all, has the black community allowed _you_ to use that coveted word?"

"That's besides the point you daft cunt."

He jabbed a finger into John's chest. "Don't go English on me bro-cookie. You're already white enough. And you know what our CO is gonna say? He'll say, "well tity-sprinkles it finally happened" because the whole damn company knows you're thirsty as fuck."

John slapped away the finger as he replied in a defensive manner. "It ain't my fault I hold the thirst of Africa, that shit just happened on its own."

Any response from Jong Han was cut off as Park Min called them over to the bus.

"Come on you two, get on the bus! We gotta check out of the hotel."

Hearing the Korean agent the two Marines quickly made their way to the bus. As they boarded the bus they found themselves the last ones to get on with the rest of the ream and girls talking amicably amongst each other. They didn't even notice the last two arrivals until they moved to take their seats.

Jong Han watched as John shuffled through the seats to sit towards the back of bus, which just so happened to be across from Kuribayashi. No surprise there.

With the signal from Komakado the doors closed and the bus lurched forward to their destination.

As they turned out of the parking lot and into the main roads Jong Han turned around in his seat to call for his best friend.

"Hey John, I gotta ask. What the hell is an ahegao?" He asked in Korean.

The Japanese soldiers could only blink as they overheard the question through the translator attached to their ears. As far as they knew John wasn't the type to be into that kind of, well….fetish.

As they turned to him they saw him silently point at Itami and Kurata. Seeing this they nodded their heads in understanding, that made perfect sense.

Jong Han snorted. "Like I give a shit who told you what, just answer the question."

"Fucked stupid." Was the blunt answer.

"What?" Jong Han tilted his head in confusion.

"It means fucked stupid." John repeated in a surprisingly tired voice. "You know, eyes rolling up to the back of their head and tongues rolling out of their mouths. That kind of shit."

Jong Han shook his head at that and turned to Itami. "That's a thing? You know like a fetish?"

Itami rubbed his neck at the question. "Well...yeah kinda. Some people like that stuff in doujinshi and…." He trailed off not wanting to finish his sentence.

Thankfully John had no qualms in finishing for him. "Hentai Itami, hentai. Just say it man, we all know that exists."

Itami merely continued to rub his neck at that. Seemed like a nervous tick of his to do so when under stress.

Jong Han hummed in thought before looking at Itami. "Hey Itami, doesn't your ex-wife draw stuff like that?"

"W-well….yes kind of, sort of. It's just catered towards females than anyone else and…..yeah." He let out a nervous laugh at that.

"Ex-wife?" John mumbled to himself. He vaguely remembered Park Min mentioning Itami's ex-wife during last night's phone call. The information had flown over his head during the conversation so he didn't ask about it at the time. Better late than never he supposed.

"I remember Park Min mentioning that you and a few others stayed over at your ex-wife's house last night."

Itami shrugged. "Oh yeah, it was supposed to be only me but you know, stuff happened and then whole bunch of people were staying for the night."

John hummed in thought before asking him in a low voice. "You didn't have a kid with her did you?"

Itami sputtered in response. "W-what?! No! I mean no, I'm still a bit too young for that."

"Good, you shouldn't string along a child for a divorce. You'll only end up hurting the kid." The team was surprised at the serious tone his voice had gotten.

Kim Tae Ha spoke up in a soft voice. "Speaking from experience sir?"

He nodded as he leaned into his seat. "Yeah, I was pretty young when it happened so I don't remember much during the divorce."

It was the aftermath that he vividly remembered. The tearing of his family; of not knowing his father intimately and growing under the false pretense that grandparents were the replacements to the hole left by the divorce.

Divorces were rarely pretty or clean especially if kids became a factor. Things such as paperwork and who has custody of the child often bogged down the process even more. Which lead to the child or children of the parents being on the receiving end of the screw ups of the parents. The scars they received wasn't one anyone could forget or wash away, it would stick with them for the rest of their lives.

It didn't matter if a year passed or a decade passed, the effects of a divorce still held influence as life itself became a painful reminder of what they had and what they lost.

The idiocy of parents pissed him off more than anything in the world because he knew what a child felt. He was that child and he knew that he was a perfect example of two parents set in their ways of stubbornness.

"Sir?"

John was broken from his thoughts as Kim Tae Ha tapped his shoulder.

"Hmm what is it?"

"Are you okay? You looked...bothered." It was the first time any of them had seen that expression on his face.

The expression of melancholy.

John waved him off before changing the subject. "I'm alright, it's nothing you guys need to worry about. Hey, by the way Itami. What did you guys do over at your ex-wife's house?"

Despite his efforts to brush over his brief moment of weakness, the damage was done. He mentally berated himself for letting himself space out like that. They weren't in a position for him to start looking for help from his squad.

Right now they had to focus on the upcoming events such as the meeting between them and the Korean and US presidents. He simply couldn't afford to be selfish and dump his personal issues on them like that. His personal issues were going to stay personal.

The only person that he could see opening up to was Jong han and that's only because of the fact that he figured out, at least vaguely on what his issue was. How could he tell? Simple, their earlier conversation before entering the bus.

Despite being in their dress blues his best friend had initiated a conversation and then steered it in a direction so that at least for a moment, allowed him to forget about his internal issues. For the briefest of moments he could relax, joke around and not think about...well anything.

"Risa? Well we didn't do much really. Just relaxed and stuff." Itami glanced at Pina and Bozes before continuing. "Though if there was a highlight, it would have to be the princess and Bozes getting into some of the doujinshi Risa made."

John tilted his head in confusion. "Your point?"

"Remember how I said she made doujinshi catered towards females?"

For a moment he furrowed his eyes in thought before a look of recognition crossed his face. "Ohhh shit, is that why those two are huddled around each other right now?"

Itami took a glance over at the two females. The occasional squeal and shaking of their shoulders gave a good indication on what they were reading.

"Yeah, I would guess so." He surmised with a sigh. His attention soon turned to Kurata who had tapped his shoulders.

"What's your plan after this?" Kurata asked, referring to the changing of the hotels.

Itami hummed in thought. He really hadn't planned for anything after the hearing. Well he supposed he could simply stay in and catch up on Mei Com.

"The winter convention is going on right now, want to go before we get swamped with more stuff to do?"

Never mind.

"Yeah, that'd be great." He wholeheartedly agreed with this plan. The fact that he had missed the summer convention was painful and the thought of missing the winter convention even more so. Now he didn't need to worry.

In a surprising move he grabbed Kurata's hand.

"I owe you so much for this Kurata." He said in teary eyed manner, much to the discomfort of Kurata.

"It's nothing, really it isn't." He awkwardly tried to pull his hand away. "So could please let go?"

"Oh! Sorry about that." With that the two men pulled their hands away from each other.

"If you you two are done," Komakado interjected. "We've arrived so go get your stuff from your rooms and check yourselves out."

He turned to the girls more specifically Rory. "Just follow the directions of the others, they'll know what to do. Also...please don't cause a scene, you're already high profile as is."

Knowing the last bit was directed at her Rory simply looked away in a pout. It wasn't that bad...was it?

Nonetheless she silently followed the others off the bus and made her way to her room.

At the direction of her roommate Kurokawa she picked up her room card and waited for the medic to finish her packing. Afterwards they quickly made their way back downstairs to check out of their rooms.

As the two reached the reception area they already found most of the team going through the quick process of checking themselves out.

As their turn approached Kurokawa gently tapped Rory's shoulder, getting her attention.

"Just say your name and give them the card." She said in her gentle voice.

Rory turned back around and hummed. "Hmm, isn't that what we did to check in?"

She pulled out her card. "Yeah it is. Pretty simple right?"

Just like opening a door.

Rory lowered her head. "...you're teasing me aren't you?"

Kurokawa let out a serene smile as she answered. "Now why would say that Rory? After all it's not like I enjoyed bathing in my five star room while looking out into the city skyline at a five star hotel. After all it's not like Conrad Tokyo Hotel is one of the most expensive and premier **five** star hotel near Ginza. Oh no, not at all Rory."

Hearing the exchange Hyung Ben let out a low whistle. "Wow, didn't expect that from the kind lady."

Then again this was the "kind lady" who blew threw a dozen magazines at the range in anger.

Unfortunately for him, the oh so kind lady heard what he had said.

"Well what did you expect from me Corporal Hyung Ben? Perhaps kindness and submission to rash behavior? Or maybe put up a facade of benevolence and suppress how I feel? But Corporal Hyung Ben, I heard that suppressing your feelings and stress can be detrimental for a person. Is that what you wish for **Corporal** Hyung Ben? For me, the team's medic to fall ill?"

The scary part was that her serene expression never wavered.

Hyung Ben, in a moment of surprise found himself having a hard time coming up with a response.

"I-I well I mean…err." He looked at his squad mates for help but found none. "Umm No? I consider you to be a friend and….and…" As he glanced at Kurokawa's still unwavering expression he promptly gave up.

"I'll be getting on the bus now." He mumbled.

* * *

John let out a contained belch as he patted his belly while sitting down on his bed.

Dinner was fuckin' fantastic.

The hotel they moved to earlier in the day was a nice and cozy four star hotel that was about ten minutes from their previous hotel.

It was the best the agents could do with the time constraints but considering all the crazy stuff that had happened, he had to mentally commend the two for getting the whole mess from yesterday sorted out.

Granted Kurata was pretty upset but that quickly changed when he and Itami went to their winter convention. Those two had been skipping through the hotel on their way out earlier, literally. He even saw an old lady spit her drink out at the sight of two grown men skip through the dining area with their arms over each other's shoulders.

It was absolutely fantastic to see. Even now he let out a small chuckle the recent memory.

Overall it was a pretty decent day after the hearing and transferring hotels.

The girls had all gone out to shop with their new spending money then they had complained during dinner that no man was there to hold their bags. At one point during dinner he could've sworn that Kurokawa was tipsy with her demeanor but he didn't call her out on it. The woman was freaking scary when she wanted to be.

He and the rest of the guys had gone out for lunch before returning to the hotel afterwards. Well except a few that is.

Itami and Kurata, well no need to explain anymore what they did afterwards.

Then Tomita of all people took the princess and her blonde butt buddy to the library. He sincerely hoped those blushes were a trick of the light or his mind playing games on him but he knew better. Still a man could hope.

After a while he was asked permission by the others asking if they could go out and have fun in the city. Not sure why they did that though. He was Korean first and foremost and there was also the fact that most of them were of equal or higher rank than him.

Kim Tae Ha, Hyung Ben and Bun Jung Hua he could understand, hell he expected them to ask permission but the Japanese? That had been something else, certainly the surprise of the day.

In the end the only ones in the hotel from the team was himself and Jong Han.

All they did was relax by watching TV and exercising at the hotel gym. Doing so had definitely helped with his overall condition. Calmed him down somewhat and was even therapeutic at one point when he released of his stress.

Working out was fun in that way.

Then there was there was the talk he had with his long time friend. That had further helped in getting some things off his chest. At the end of it all Jong Han had come the same conclusion that Park Min did a couple days earlier.

Talk to your dad.

I'm not asking you two to be buddy buddy or work out all your issues but just talk to the man. Trust me it'll help.

Those had been his exact words.

Well...he supposed it couldn't hurt. He was going to have to talk with him anyway after arriving in Korea.

Besides, at this point the relationship between them could only get better. Why? Simple they didn't have one in the first place. Well there was always the possibility that the talk would be so awkward that he'd give up on it.

He taken away from his thoughts when the door opened.

Closing the door behind him Itami ambled over to the unoccupied bed and collapsed onto it.

Turning his body over to face the ceiling Itami let out a small burp.

"Excuse me." He mumbled.

"You're excused." John replied back.

Itami glanced at his back after a while in silence.

"Hey John?" He started off.

Still sitting in the same spot John grumbled out. "Hmmmm?"

"We're planning on staying at a resort for tomorrow night, you in?"

John let out a sigh. "So many plans….what's next a strip club?"

"Hell no, you wouldn't catch me dead in one."

John let out a teasing coo. "Awww is the grown-ups building too much?"

Itami let out a snort. "No, the grown-ups building is simply riddled with AIDs. Also...I'm older than you."

"Love yourself and love thy enemy."

Itami gave John a questioning look. "What?"

"Herpa Derp."

He simply rolled his eyes at that. "Whatever you say man. So? Are you coming or not? Everyone's already agreed to it anyway."

John shrugged. "Sure, why not. What's the name of the resort?"

"Hakone."

* * *

Yeah next up is Hakone and the trip to Korea. Along with other stuff.

The only thing I'll say and it's because we all know just how BS that whole scene was. It's not gonna happen. I want to say more but then I go into spoiler territory and you know...nobody likes a spoiler.

'Til next time folks. Peace.


	7. Hakone

Disclaimer: With the exception of my OCs all credit goes to the creator of Gate, meaning I don't own anything. Simple.

A/N: So this chapter is what? 3 and a half weeks from my last update? Mmmm not really what I was going for, which was a chapter every two weeks. I figured if I could write 1k words a night then I would be golden but...it just doesn't work out that way. Some days I'm busy with school and others I'm running around running errands as I try to get my military papers squared away. Still I'll try to keep the two week upload period, try being the key word. If anything I have a feeling that it's going to be around every 3 weeks.

On a side note, anyone know of a decent gaming laptop? You know not Alienware or Origin that's wayyy overpriced. You know something that can run Rainbow Six Siege on medium. Nothing spectacular, just decent. Help a gamer out plz, I've always been a console guy so...HELP!

Anyway, on to the story.

* * *

0500.

That was the time John had woken up to.

For many it was an ungodly time to wake up to, especially if they were given the day off. Most people simply didn't see the need to wake up that early unless they were going to school or if their jobs permitted it.

Well he certainly wasn't going to school nor did his job permit that he had to wake up that early. Well at least not today, today he was given the whole entire day off along with everyone else.

He rolled out his bed as he prepared to start the day with his usual morning routine. Which meant washing his face, brushing his teeth and then having a hot cup of coffee.

Standing up he silently made his way to the bathroom door. He didn't bother turning on the lights, didn't want to hear Itami complain about waking up too early. As he quietly opened the bathroom door and flipped on the lights he began to think about the day's plan of action.

Breakfast would be at 0930, hopefully they served some pancakes or waffles. He was craving for some of that syrupy goodness. Then they would hit a couple of museums for the girls to enjoy and learn about some of the historical and cultural importances of Japan. That would take up most of the day, most likely until the evening before heading to Hakone Resort to spend the rest of the night.

As John turned on the faucet and began washing his face he thought back to the two agents. They would be in the background coordinating everything and making sure each member of the team was under protection. A headache for the two and everyone else involved for sure.

Well….not like that was his job anyway. His job was to relax and make the most of the time off they were given. Which was pretty lengthy all things considered.

They had two days vacation in Japan before going to Korea, where they would spend 3 days total. The first day would be the conference between themselves and the US and Korean president. Afterwards they would have two days of more vacation time.

Of course that was all well and good but it wasn't all that hard to see that once again Korea and Japan was competing against each other.

The girls would spend two days in Japan learning their history and culture and then repeat the process when they were in Korea.

Both countries wanted to look better than the other. To look more favorable to the princess of the Empire when negotiations started.

Leaning down into the sink he spit out a mouthful of water before brushing the corners of his teeth. As he did so he glanced upwards and saw his face. He wasn't any different than normal though he could make out the small bags under his eyes. As he stared at his reflection in the mirror he focused on his closed left eye, the eyepatch being on the nightstand next to his bed.

For a moment he hesitated before he slowly opened his left eye, all the while languidly brushing his teeth. With both his eyes open he leaned down and cleaned his mouth out with water.

Straightening his back he sighed before closing his left eye once more. Still a bit too bright but much better than the last couple days. At the very least he didn't get an immediate headache from just opening it.

Also the tips of his hair were beginning to touch his ear. He would have to shave his hair again soon before it became too long. He guessed that he had a few more days before it would be out of regulation.

"Wonder if anyone else is awake right now?" He mumbled to himself as he dried his face with a towel.

Probably not, all things considered. Well there was always Jong Han but at this point he really didn't count.

Their "training" with their mentor made sure they woke up at 0500 on the dot.

It was funny how that worked really, he always had thoughts of having a military career. It wasn't concrete at the time but the thought was there for him. For his best friend it was a different story.

Jong Han never had an interest in the military life but despite it he had stuck with him during their childhood years under the tutelage of their mentor. Hell he had even stayed in despite him finishing his mandatory two years in the Marine Corps.

Now after four years in the Marines they were chosen to have a chance to wear the coveted black beret of the 707th.

Truthfully he didn't know if Jong Han really wanted to become a 707 operative, not entirely at least. However at this point worrying about that was stupid. If he wanted the black beret then he would get it. If he didn't then he would fail during training, simple as that.

John sighed as he shook the thoughts away, too early for that shit.

He rolled his neck as he attempted to loosen up the stiff muscles. Groaning as he felt the stiff area loosen up he opened the bathroom door. Still keeping the bathroom lights on he walked over to his bag of clothes next to his bed.

Reaching in he pulled out black shorts, a blue t-shirt and a pair of plain white socks. Nothing fancy, just something he could wear around the hotel.

He quietly slipped on his new attire along with his eyepatch before putting on a pair of tennis shoes. For a minute he debated on whether or not a hoodie was necessary, in the end he simply shrugged before putting on a plain grey hoodie. Afterwards he grabbed his wallet and phone before turning off the bathroom lights, bathing the room in complete darkness once again.

Barely making a sound he slowly opened the door before closing it. As the door beeped signaling the security being activated once again he turned away and began the trip to the elevator.

As he walked through the hallway he took the moment to bask in the silence and peace of the hotel. A stark contrast from yesterday when the hotel was bustling with activity.

No surprise about the quietness however, 0500 was still 0500. Pretty fucking early.

Taking a deep breath he let himself slow his pace to a slow stroll. No need to rush, he had all the time in the world.

As he approached the elevator he pressed the button and waited for the elevator to arrive. A moment later the elevator door opened with a soft chime.

In near silence he walked into the elevator before pressing the button that would take him to the first floor.

While in the empty elevator John let himself lean on the walls as he waited for the elevator to arrive on the chosen floor.

A short minute later he found the door opening with a soft chime once again. Pushing himself off the wall he made his way out of the elevator.

Looking around he found the first floor more active than the upper floors with the hotel workers hurrying about as they prepared for the rest of the day. Despite it however it was still relatively peaceful.

He softly grunted in annoyance as he reached up and fiddled with the skewed eyepatch. He really wanted to get it off as soon as possible.

He was still in the process of fixing his eyepatch when he reached his destination, the exercise room. With his lone right eye he found Jong Han already lightly stretching his body.

"Morning." John lamely called out to him.

"Morning to you too." Jong Han responded before pointing to the water fountain. "Drink up if you haven't."

He let out a yawn. "Already on it."

After getting a drink he joined his friend in stretching out their stiff bodies.

"God damn, my body is stiff." John groaned out.

"Yeah," Jong Han grunted while stretching his calves. "We just woke up, what do you expect?"

"Wasn't asking for a smartass first thing in the morning." John grounded out as he switched from static stretching to dynamic stretching.

Jong Han snorted in response. "Wasn't asking for a dipshit first thing in the morning."

They fell into silence as they continued to stretch their bodies. It was a quiet affair as they were the only ones in the gym.

John let out a loud sigh as he lightly bounced on the tips of toes. His muscles were loosened up.

"Ready to go?" Jong Han asked as he patted down his white jacket.

With a short nod the two Marines walked out of the gym. As they did so they gave the workers a short wave before walking outside.

As soon as they stepped outside they were met with the cool winter air causing the two to shiver slightly in response.

"You remembered the route right?" John finally asked as he took a glance at their surroundings.

Jong Han nodded. "Yeah, have you?"

"Yup. A full 10 kilometers of fun."

Jong Han sighed. "Yes, what fun we're gonna have running 10 kilometers."

John rolled his eyes as he began to run ahead. "Oh shut up and lets run already, my legs are getting cold."

With a low grunt Jong Han sped forward in unison with John.

The two ran in silence as they took slow and steady breaths of the cool morning air. Thankfully they found the sidewalks relatively empty of human traffic, much to their relief.

Nothing was more annoying to a runner than having to dodge human traffic. It broke up the rhythm a runner had built up and expended unnecessary energy.

Their only issue was the crosswalks but it was something they had to deal with while running in the city. It was a minor annoyance than anything else for the two, they were long accustomed to forcefully breaking rhythm and starting over again. Running in the mountains tended to do that to you.

Even so it was a much better alternative than running in place on a treadmill. That was boring as all hell considering you had to stare at a wall for however long you chose to run.

For warmups, sure they could use a treadmill but for anything beyond 10 minutes they had to run outside. Mostly due to the fact their running courses were usually around the 10-13 kilometers mark. On average it would take them roughly 45 minutes to finish a 10 kilometer run. That rounded up to roughly an hour if they chose to run the full 13 kilometers.

Of course that wasn't counting the days they chose to run shorter distances but at a faster pace.

So running in the city, in spite of its annoyances was much better than running inside while staring at a wall for an hour. It simply got too monotonous for the two who were used to running through hilly mountains and congested cities.

* * *

Kuribayashi let out a yawn as she stretched her arms over head. Personally she wanted to skip workouts for today. Her being exhausted last night coupled with the fact that the bed was so very comfortable made it difficult to get out of bed. Even so she didn't want to start getting lazy by skipping her routine workouts.

Besides her Kurokawa stifled a yawn of her own. "Haven't woken up yet?"

Kuribayashi shrugged. "No, not completely anyway. I'll wake up when the blood starts flowing."

Silently trailing behind them Rory made her presence known. "Hmmm, interesting. I didn't think anyone would be up so early."

She seemed amused at the slightly disheveled look the two women shared between them.

After getting over her initial jump of surprise Kuribayashi raised her hand in greeting. "Good morning. You're awake pretty early Rory."

Afterwards she took a glance at her phone. "It's 0616 right now. I expected you to be sleeping."

In fact everyone else was probably sleeping, given the fact none of them really seemed like the early morning types. Well Tomita she could see but everyone else? Not so much, not even the Marines. They just seemed content on doing their own thing.

Rory lightly twirled her large halberd before giving Kuribayashi a mischievous look. "Oh? Is that so? Why would you expect such a thing?"

In response she merely shrugged. "Didn't think you were an early riser."

Rory let out a low hum. "Hmmm, well I'll have you know that I wake up before sunrise everyday."

Kuribayashi gave the demigod a doubtful look. "Everyday? For the last thousand years?"

Not missing a beat Rory nodded in response, unbothered by the doubtful expression. "Yes I have for the last 961 years, it is my time of prayer."

Kuribayashi shook her head after giving Rory one last stare. "Whatever you say Rory besides isn't 961 years basically the same as a thousand? Especially since you're practically immortal."

Rory looked offended at that. "No it is not, there is a difference of 39 years, a very big difference if I may add." Despite the convincing tone that Rory had used, Kuribayashi took her words with a grain of salt. It wasn't a secret that Rory tended to be somewhat reactive when mentioning her age.

She sincerely doubted 39 years was worth much to the apostle considering Rory had lived for over 900 years. Compared to an average human being who lived for a 104 years, Rory's semblance of time was far different.

From her place behind the two females Kurokawa let out another yawn as she rubbed her eyes. She still a bit drowsy from waking up early. Especially since this wasn't her normal wake up time. Instead of waking up at 0700 like she had planned and used to she was abruptly woken up by her roommate waking up and causing a ruckus.

Her roommate just so happened to be Kuribayashi who had, in a brief state of delirium, caused a lamp to fall over. How? She didn't have a clue. All she knew was that she was woken up with the sight of Kuribayashi face planted on the floor with the lamp in her back.

Well in all honesty it was the noise that had woken her up at 0600. It didn't helped that with the zombie-like groans coming from her teammate she had a hard time falling back asleep.

It was only after a short trip to the bathroom that she had gained some semblance of control. Enough so that they decided to go ahead and exercise together. A pretty decent plan, she supposed. It would certainly help more than a cup of coffee in waking up.

She just hoped Shino didn't go overboard with the exercises. Well unless there were Marines already working out then she doubted the close combat specialist would do something crazy.

Although over the last several months she had seen that the Marines didn't really cause any more bouts of excitement from the diminutive sergeant. For what reason she didn't know but it was most likely due to getting used to the presence of the Korean Marines throughout their time in the Special Region.

There were times during the early days of the operation where she could see that the sergeant had put the ROK Marines on a rather high pedestal; an image of a professional soldier who could do no wrong. Nowadays however she had lost that image and with it, the pedestal the Marines were placed on.

That wasn't to say that Kuribayashi was completely indifferent. Instead what had remained was a simple desire. The desire to prove herself, to prove her abilities and get acknowledged for it.

The thought had put a damper on Kurokawa's otherwise serene mood. She knew why Kuribayashi felt that way, John.

The two were close, simply put. However it wasn't a friendship culminating in mutual respect and camaraderie. Instead she could see the singular desire of the Korean squad leader to have sex with Shino.

The suggestive tones of his voice coupled with the aggressive body language he displayed made it clear to her and everyone else what he truly wanted. And Kuribayashi knew, yet she played along as the slightly airheaded female because in the end, she wanted to prove to John that she was someone worth respecting.

It was a line of thinking Kurokawa couldn't support nor endorse. She wanted to steer her teammate away from John, away from that line of thinking but it was a worthless effort. Shino was dead set on her objective.

It was infuriating to her. She couldn't understand why Kuribayashi would want to continue. She highly doubted John would respect her even if she managed to impress him, didn't seem like the type to do so.

Kurokawa let out a small sigh at the errant thought. As much as she hated it she couldn't forcefully stop Kuribayashi. She was an adult, her decisions, her life. All Kurokawa could do was to support her in any way possible.

She took a glance at Kuribayashi who was talking to Rory in an animated manner. Coincidentally they were discussing about the Marines too thought their conversation was a bit different than her thoughts.

It was a simple debate of whether or not the Marines would be awake by now. From the small bits of what Kuribayashi had said, Kurokawa could make the inference that she didn't believe anyone besides them would be awake. Which was fair considering it was their day off and few would choose to wake up at 0600.

It was something that Kurokawa could agree with. The Marines didn't seem like the kind of people to wake up so early unless they were forced to. That was her impression at least.

Rory however had a different opinion.

"You're underestimating the Korean Marines Shino, especially John and Jong Han."

The statement was something Kurokawa silently mulled over to herself, letting Shino continue talking.

Kuribayashi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "John and Jong Han? I guess they aren't bad. Well, in all honesty they're pretty good, considering the stunt they pulled off in Italica but they don't seem like the kind to actively do well…..anything. They seem like the guys who would rather do what needs to be done and stop there."

And she wasn't wrong. The two were naturally content on taking thing easy. Well that was the impression anyway, none of the Japanese knew of the duo's soon-to-be run in with the famed White Tigers. That was something the Koreans kept to themselves.

In response Rory turned to face Kuribayashi, halting all movement between the three of them.

After a moment Rory leaned forward with a large smile.

"Indeed they are but underneath the surface is something more...pleasing to feel." She took several joyful steps back, all the while maintaining eye contact.

Kurokawa frowned as she heard the apostle talk. "What do you mean?"

Twirling her halberd Rory gently caressed the handle of the large weapon. "The intent to kill is such a wonderful thing and the desires of a warrior wanting, demanding death makes me….joyful to say the least." She kept the happy expression plastered on her face, much to the discomfort of the two women.

"Whenever I am around such deadly creatures I feel absolutely ecstatic, intoxicated almost and yes even aroused. Their desire of death and destruction creates such warmth inside me that I simply cannot ignore them."

She gave off a terrifying smile. "They are drugs of the highest quality, addictive….and the feeling is absolutely unbearable when I am near the two Korean Marines."

With that she gave the two women one last look before turning around and began walking down the hallway.

For a moment they let Rory amble down the hallway before following after her.

"What do you think?"

Kurokawa was startled from her musings as Kuribayashi called out to her.

"Oh! Umm well...I can't say." From what she had seen so far of the two Marines she couldn't say that they were bloodthirsty or overzealous fighters. They just seemed...normal, albeit with somewhat off putting tendencies but nothing really outstanding.

Her conclusion.

"I think...I'll keep my views of the two reserved for now."

Next her Kuribayashi nodded along, agreeing with the statement. "Yeah, I think I'll do that too."

The rest of the trip to the gym was rather quiet as the two females retreated into their own thoughts. Despite having known Rory for the length of time they have, the two women had taken her words with a grain of salt.

There were some things that just seemed overly exaggerated. This wasn't such case.

As the girls stood at the entrance of the gym they stood there with varying degrees of emotions ranging from shock and awe to euphoria. Though only Rory felt that way.

In front of the girls the two previously mentioned Marines were sparring with each other, not caring for the cramped space of the gym.

Even to the trained eyes of the Japanese soldiers the rapid movements of the two Marines was nothing more than a fast blur. The only thing they could make out was the black rubber knife that was in Jong Han's hand. John however was empty handed, though they could see a rubber knife clipped onto his thigh.

As Kuribayashi looked on at the sparring session of the two men she found herself straining to make out the individual strikes. It was simply too fast even for her, a close combat specialist. However despite the blur of movement she could recognize a handful of the techniques. Some she knew herself and others, she recognized up from various videos floating around the Internet.

It was Krav Maga and MUSAT.

She mentally replayed the thought once more. Krav Maga and MUSAT.

Krav Maga. A martial art developed in Israel, famed for its brutal, aggressive and highly effective counterattacks. A martial art that sees use with both the military and civilian sector.

However what surprised her the most was their use of MUSAT.

MUSAT. Muti-UDT-SEAL-Assaulting-Tactics. A style of knife and sector combat developed by the Korean UDT/SEALs. An organization modeled after the all too famed US Navy SEALs. It was a martial art developed by special forces for special forces. A regular Marine shouldn't know MUSAT yet in front of her there it was, MUSAT.

She didn't know MUSAT, it was only taught to the special force units of Korea. Among them was the Navy UDT/SEALs and the prominent 707th Special Warfare Battalion.

So how did they know it?

She didn't have the answer nor did she think of one, she was glued to the two Marines and nothing else.

At a glance it looked like a stalemate but Kuribayashi knew otherwise. John was winning despite being on the defensive, despite being unarmed.

He was in complete control. That much she could tell.

To her he was nothing more than a blur of rapid movement and the only bystander who had been able to follow the movements was Rory. Her supernatural senses ensured that she could easily keep up with the fight and she was the only one that was able to see the finishing blow.

With his left hand grabbing the wrist of the offending right arm John harshly pulled the rubber knife down and away from his body and In one fluid motion he stepped into the advancing body of Jong Han. With his free right hand he grabbed the back of his neck and using his momentum against him pulled Jong Han's body forward and downwards, causing him to flip over onto his back.

Jong Han winced in pain as a knee dug into his back, preventing him from cushioning the fall and forcing him unto the bony edge of the knee. Ignoring the pain he extended his left hand to grab the torso of his opponent but before he could touch him, he felt the rubber edge of the knife slicing across his exposed neck.

Game. Set. Match. John wins.

Grunting in mild annoyance and pain Jong Han shrugged out of the hold and stood up. He took several deep breaths as he put his hands on top of his head. He had to get ready for the next round.

John on the other hand let out a satisfied smirk as he tossed the rubber knife back to its original owner. Fighting with one eye meant he to compensate for the loss of vision which made it tricky in CQC situations. He had to adopt in order to minimize the rather large weak point but in the end he had done a pretty decent job.

He really had to thank his mentor one of these days. The sadistic asshole was a being worthy of nightmares but he was a hell of an instructor.

He took a glance at himself and Jong Han, they were both drenched in sweat. "Why are you so shit?"

Jong Han glared at John. "Fuck you, give me a gun and I'll show you who's shit."

John merely rolled his eyes as he shook his head. 'Of course he would say that.' He thought while reaching down and gripping his rubber knife.

"Marvelous." They whipped their head around to find Rory staring at them with a small blush on her face.

"Simply marvelous." She repeated before licking her lips. "You would make to be excellent subjects of Emroy."

"We're not interested Rory." Jong Han insisted with a small groan. They already talked about this.

She fixed her gaze onto John who was lightly tossing the knife in his hands. "You're not interested however….you don't speak for John do you? So, are you interested John?"

A thoughtful look crossed his face before he shook his head. "No thanks, I'm fine with the way things are."

He turned to face the other two women who were standing in place with wide eyes and hanging jaws.

"Enjoy the show you two?" He asked with a sly grin, already knowing the answer.

* * *

Letting out a low whistle John took a moment to admire the museum. This was definitely a worthwhile trip for everyone involved.

Currently he was flanked by Kuribayashi, who had been glued to him ever since their little run-in in the morning.

Around them the occasional civilian passed by as the team had broken off to their own groups with the people they were comfortable with. Which meant the Marines stayed with the Marines and the Japanese stayed with the Japanese. Although mixed in between the groups were the visitors from the Special Region.

From soldiers to pseudo politicians to glorified tour guides they did it all because why the fuck not?

Truthfully the fact that Kuribayashi had decided to partner up with him was beginning to grate on his nerves. It was because of the simple act of awe and wonder that had been plastered on her face ever since morning.

Her fangirl-like tendencies had returned with a vengeance.

'And just when she was beginning to be a decent girl.' John cursed to himself. The one point that had annoyed him the most was Shino's obsession and glorification of the military, more specifically the special forces community.

He had managed to steer her away from said tendencies over the course of several months. Well temporarily at least.

He sighed irritably as he found himself turning to face the smaller female. She barely reached his chin.

"Is something wrong Shino-chan?" He asked in a tired and irritable voice.

She didn't notice, either that or she simply didn't care.

"No, nothing is wrong." In fact everything was fantastic by looking at the beaming smile she had.

John resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Sure, she had no problems but he certainly had some. Then again life was a pain in that sense.

He nor Jong Han hadn't expected anyone to be awake at the early hour, even less for someone actually having the desire to exercise. So they thought "why not" and decided to go with their sparring matches.

It got even worse when the girls decided to watch them spar again. It was maddening especially with the hungry expression that was plastered on Rory's face but one way or another, they worked through it.

He resisted the urge to turn around as he practically felt the burning gaze of Shino on the back of his head. Instead he resolutely kept his bearing straight ahead and walked to wherever his feet took him.

Not like he really cared for whenever they ended up. He was fine as long as it was something interesting.

"My my, who's this?"

John held his tongue from saying a half thought out response which just so happened to be "your daddy." Yeah saying that to a thousand year old girl was most definitely not a good idea. That was besides the fact that said thousand year old girl had the appearance of a child and saying that line in public could result in some situations he would rather like to avoid.

Granted those situations would be absolutely hilarious to see, one worthy of the Internet. It's just that it would absolutely suck to be on the receiving end of said situation.

So he kept his mouth shut and merely acknowledged the demigod her entourage with a court nod. Said entourage was comprised of Itami along with Lelei and Chuka. And rapidly approaching behind them was Tomita, the princess and her butt buddy. Which was great!

He was the only Korean here. Fuck. And they were at the section devoted to the history of the Japanese occupation of Korea during the early 1900s.

Fucking Hitler's lone balls why the hell did this have to come up now?

John held a grimace. 'Great, well now here come the grand age old questions.' He thought to himself. Well he wanted something interesting and so he got something interesting.

It was time to put on his teacher facade and preach the words of education to the cultural fuckery that was the Special Region. Because why the fuck not?

It would be hilarious. Plus, brownie points for Korea if he played his cards right. Which meant playing the victim.

He hated playing victim.

"So what's going on here?" Lelei's monotone voice drifted through the peaceful atmosphere.

Itami took a look around before he turned to John with a questioning look.

He shrugged in response. Like he mentioned, opportunity for brownie points.

Coughing into his hands he began in a low voice. "Um well the section we're in right now is devoted to the history behind the Japanese occupation of Korea."

That had drawn some attention to the only Korean present. It was certainly a surprise for them, who had only seen the Japanese and Koreans work together. They didn't know the ugly side of the hardly existing relationship between the two countries.

"Can you clarify?"

Itami continued as he led the group through the area, stopping occasionally to point out the concrete details.

"Well in 1910 Japan annexed Korea, making it a part of the Japanese empire...in doing so we built up the local infrastructure, schools, roads and the like."

John gave Itami a bewildered look. "Yeah and the Japanese oppressed our culture, our history even our language. That's not counting the slave-like use of Korean workers and the use of comfort women."

"Isn't that correct though?" He whipped his head to Pina.

"Isn't that what the conquerors are supposed to do?" She asked, repeating herself.

For a moment he held his tongue, she was right in her view because that was how it was done in the Special Region. Might makes right. That was how it was always done and it was the philosophy that she grew up around. So he couldn't blame her for the question.

He shook his head. "No Pina, it isn't, not here anyway. That kind of barbaric behavior isn't allowed. Respectful, kind and humane, that's how we treat the defeated here. The Geneva Convention is a set of rules that a country is expected to follow during conflict and none of those rules say you can oppress, murder, rape and enslave your enemy."

He looked at her in the eye. "Slavery, murder, rape and the exploitation of the human body is not allowed nor tolerated under **any** circumstance, understand that Pina."

She gulped under the piercing gaze, slavery. It was the one thing that had been on her mind for a long while. The cultures of this world abhorred slavery, making it one of the highest of crimes to commit. Yet it was the very practice that the Empire had enjoyed and even endorsed for countless years.

"What the Japanese did during that period was unforgettable and yet even today, some of these hardliners insist that these events never happened or twist the story into some unbelievable bull shit." He took a breath. "However these people are in the minority, thankfully."

It wasn't like the Japanese were completely devoid of common sense, only just a minor portion of them.

Lelei gestured between him and Itami. "But you and Itami seem pretty friendly with each other, in fact I can say the same for most of the people I've met so far."

She wasn't wrong about that. The Japanese people along with the Korean people generally didn't have any animosity against each other anymore. The disgruntled older generations that had held unto their hatred had long passed. Now the newer more liberal generations had pushed past the barrier between the two people. The only thing holding the two countries back was simple, politics.

Both sides still had something against each other politically, among them being the territorial disputes, China included. Such as the long time ongoing issue of the land rights of the Dokdo/Takeshima islands.

Their people may have let bygones be bygones but politically the two countries didn't fare that much better than how they were in the early 2000s.

Tomita added his two cents. "The problems are mostly political in nature. The average Korean or Japanese citizen doesn't hold prejudice against one another and politically speaking we've been at odds with each other for centuries. It's going to take a very long time before Japan and Korea can say they're allies."

"The joint operation was a way for both countries to try and improve relations, something the international community has been encouraging for a while." However those were merely pretty words, neither Korea nor Japan had any intention of playing nice forever. The only reason that had them working together was because of one country and what that country represented.

The United States.

The country had the economic, political and military power to sway the balance of the world. The fact Japan and Korea had been given reigns meant one thing, the US was playing "father." Much like how parents found some amusement in the antics of their children, the US found the desperate joint effort to be amusing in nature.

They were saying "Have fun and play nice but if you don't...I'll step in." So in light of that, both countries played nice. Well sort of.

Itami coughed getting the attention of everyone present. "Ugh lets get out of the depressing parts shall we? Oh, I know, you guys don't know about the samurai do you?" The girls shook their heads. "Well, come one then. Tomita? You take the lead."

Nodding the man began to lead to others away, leaving the two leaders by themselves.

"So," Itami started off. "You're really doing this…"

John sighed. "For the benefit of my country and plus….orders are orders." Didn't mean he liked it, he hated politics and politicians.

"At the expense of Japan."

"I don't owe Japan anything." He retorted in a bland voice.

"And I don't owe Korea anything either." The two shared a look before sighing.

"We're pieces of shit aren't we?"

Itami ran a hand through his hair, probably should get a haircut soon. "Yeah but at least we're pieces of shit who care for our men."

"And women."

Itami rolled his eyes. "Yes, Johnny-kun women too." As he tried to walk away he was turned around by a hand on his shoulder. He was surprised to see Johns face etched with a deadly expression.

"Don't. Ever. Call me that again."

"Hai hai Jo~hnny-kun." He said in a sing-song voice.

"...eat a pinecone you ten cent whore."

* * *

"So...you guys are off to Hakone?"

Itami turned to Komakado with an apologetic look. "Sorry for the extra work."

He raised his hands up in defense. "No no, no need to apologize. This is our job after all." At least this time everyone would be in the same place, no need to split the teams up to cover each individual group like during the trip to the museum.

"One more thing…." Itami rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish look. "We're going to stop by Risa's place to pick her up."

Komakado let out sigh before gesturing him to leave. "...just go already."

"R-right, thanks for everything." With that he got inside the rented van. A short wave later the 3 vehicle convoy left the parking lot of the hotel.

Within his van behind Itami's lead car John let out a content sigh as he relaxed into the seat. Besides him Hyung Ben kept his neutral expression as he maneuvered the vehicle through the streets. The six person squad was for once in the same vehicle with the other two vans being comprised of the Japanese element.

"Hey squad leader, I gotta question." Came the voice of Kim Tae Ha.

"What's up?"

"Why didn't we take the automated cars? It would save us the task of driving. Probably safer too."

Hearing the question John craned his head to face the young soldier. "The very same reason why the president has a designated driver."

"Which is?"

"You forget what happened to the German Chancellor?"

Kim Tae Ha shook his head. How could he, in fact how could anyone? The assassination of the German Chancellor was worldwide news not only for his high profile but due to the nature of his assassination.

It was a time when the world had begun the change to automated vehicles, naturally the same applied to high profile individuals. After all, a machine was better than a human right? Not in this case, the numerous failsafes installed just wasn't enough to protect someone as high up as a national leader. Until technology advanced further, this was something that required a human touch. It was also one of the reasons why the military still used human driven vehicles as its main fleet of vehicles.

"Wait ten more years and maybe it'd be good enough but for now, a human is more than good enough." Besides, with the continuous rise in automated cars, driving was becoming more and more of a novelty.

"Hey someone put on some music."

"Why don't you do it yourself?" Kim Han Yoon retorted as she fiddled with her phone. Probably on some form of social media John surmised.

"Fine," He huffed. "But don't complain, this is my shit."

She waved him off. "Yeah yeah, have fun."

Grumbling at the plain dismissal by his marksman John scrolled through his playlist before picking a song. Soon the rhythmic beats of the song reverberated throughout the car as it was hooked into the stereo.

From his seat behind John Jong Han perked up as he recognized the song. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams?"

"Bingo."

He nodded his head in approval. "I love this shit man."

* * *

John let out a groan as he stepped out of his van, finally they were here. The drive was for the most part uneventful, just a pain due to the congested traffic.

As he worked the kinks out of his stiff body he heard Itami call over to the others.

"What time is it?"

"1744."

A loud sigh was heard from the man. "Alright, I'm sure you all know this but we have the entire resort to ourselves. Relax, drink a bit and unwind, we've got work to do tomorrow."

Which was going to Korea for the conference. Thankfully the meeting wouldn't be televised at least not too much, they did expect some but that would most likely be the greeting only. They would have to smile for the cameras and shake hands with the Korean and American presidents. Then the closed door meeting, that was the plan anyway.

The gathered group nodded at the brief command before heading to the resort.

"Hey John." He turned to face his best friend walking beside him.

"What's up?"

"I'm getting shit faced drunk tonight." Jong Han bluntly said.

"You do that." He encouraged with a short pat on his back. "But I'll pass, not that much of a fan of drinking anyway. Well unless you can mix something up for me."

"I shall make something to match your delicate tastes, milord." He even bowed for emphasis.

John rolled his eyes at the asinine gesture. "Yes yes, make it tasty."

"Is he any good?" Kim Han Yoon asked as they approached the resort.

He raised an eyebrow at the question. "You planning on getting drunk as shit like him?" He shook his head. "Bad idea, we've important stuff to do tomorrow and a hangover won't help any."

She scoffed at the advice. "I know and I didn't plan on getting drunk. Like I'd trust myself with you of all people."

"Aren't you being a bit too mean?" He questioned, offended. He hadn't even said anything yet.

"No, if anything I'm being too nice."

"Well then...aren't you on your period." He commented offhandedly. However the scathing look he received from the female quickly shut him up. Without another word Kim Han Yoon turned away and accelerated towards the resort.

'The hells got her so pissed off?' He thought to himself. From his memory he couldn't remember anything that would have warranted such a hostile response. Then again, his memory tended to be heavily biased so trusting that wouldn't be the best of ideas.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked.

Jong Han shrugged. "Maybe because you mentioned her being on a period?"

"It can't be that bad."

"Females."

He raised his head in understanding. "Yeah...oh well, she'll get over it."

"You think?" By now they had reached the resort.

John glanced at Itami, who was busy getting everything squared away with the owner. "Probably, hopefully."

"Gotta love that optimism."

He shrugged. "Have to stay sane somehow."

Jong Han scoffed. "Right because we're totally "sane.""

"Well...at least we're not insane."

"Some would argue against that." Jong Han pointed out. "In any case, come on. Lets unpack and get ready for night."

"Right behind you." With that the two Marines squeezed passed the others and began walking ahead to their rooms. As they walked silently they took the moment to take in the serene atmosphere.

The resort was designed from the ground up to be a place of complete relaxation. Hot springs, some alcohol and a grand old scenery of the mountains made Hakone one of the more desired resorts. The fact that they had it all to themselves was fantastic.

The agents had definitely done their work.

The two were among the first to arrive at their rooms. A relatively spartan room that was practically made for drunkards, like Jong Han. Waltzing into their room John took a moment to check what he assumed was the closet. Opening the sliding door he found various mattresses for when they decided to go to sleep.

Nodding in satisfaction he dropped his bag of clothes and closed the door. Turning around he took the moment to glance at the medium sized room.

Thankfully they had rented out 3 rooms for the team with the girls getting their own room and the other two belonging to the men. Then again from the look of things the separation of the sexes was most likely not going to last the night. Alcohol was a hell of a drug.

The silence was broken by a chorus of chatter before the door slid open, revealing their male roommates. As they stepped in they took the moment to give the room a look over. It wasn't long before the room was filled with the sounds of casual chatter and the rustling of bags as they were pushed off to the side. They could unpack later.

Suddenly Itami stepped into the room with a large bundle of clothes in his hands. It was their wardrobe for the night.

"Hey guys get your stuff so we can get ready." Itami said in a cheerful voice.

"Hot spring?" Someone asked.

He nodded with a smile. "Hot spring."

* * *

Itami let out a satisfied groan as he sank into the warm, almost hot water. He could practically feel the stress melting away. Opening his eyes he found the others sliding into the water in a similar fashion.

They needed this in his opinion. The past couple of days had been some of the most stressful he the displeasure of going through. The couple days break they had was very much needed.

Then they had to go to Korea for some more political stuff. Wonderful.

'Know what though? Out of sight, out of mind.' He smiled as he heard the others converse amicably amongst each other. The chief topic being on what they wanted to do while in Korea.

Through the haze of steamy water he heard John's voice pierce through the nightly air.

"Well first plan of action is to get the girls over to a museum, who's volunteering for chaperone?"

"Can't sir, I'm visiting family that day. I'll meet up on the flight back to Japan." He recognized the voice belonging to one of the younger soldiers, Hyung Ben.

"Same here, have to visit family." That was Kim Tae Ha.

He could hear John click his tongue in annoyance. "Fine what about you two?"

"Don't feel like it plus, you know me better than anyone else. Do you really want me teaching shit?"

The response was immediate. "Too true, don't want you anywhere near us so have fun somewhere else."

A low feminine voice drifted through the barrier that had separated the two baths, it was Kim Han Yoon. "...I don't see why not, I've got nothing going on."

He caught the slightly exasperated undertone of her voice that had intoned family issues. He didn't know if it really was due to family problems but he didn't ask either way. It was something he was all too familiar with after all, he could sympathize with someone wanting their privacy.

"Alright, good enough."

For a while longer Itami sat still as he quietly relaxed. This was a time for himself only, nothing crazy was going to happen and they were safe under the careful watch of the agents and their field teams.

From the corner of his eyes he saw John groan as he pulled himself out of the water.

"I'm done man, starting to feel like a lobster in here." With a short wave he disappeared into the building.

Following shortly after him was apparently Kim Han Yoon, who had announced her leave in a similar fashion. It wasn't long after that they unanimously decided enough was enough.

* * *

"So….what's up?" He lamely asked as he laid down on his sides. Looking across the room he saw his marksman sitting there leaning against the wall.

"It's my family." That was all that was needed to be said. He was all too familiar with her family issues, with the topic being brought up during their earlier days together.

He sighed. "That makes the two of us." That had drawn a look from the female. He merely waved it off, nothing she needed to worry about. "In any case, I'm surprised they haven't given up yet. It's been what? 4 years?" Ever since recruit training from what he remembered.

She nodded, this was tiring for all parties involved. "Yeah for you but even longer for me. I actually had to live with the pacifist fuckers for 18 years."

He blinked in shock as he heard the curse word. That was certainly rare. "Well I'll say the same thing I said after graduation, do you. If being a Marine is what you want then go for it."

She let out a small smile at the memory, he certainly said more than that four years ago. "Thanks but no need to tell me, I'm confident in my decision."

He raised an eyebrow in interest. "Which is?"

"I don't want to be a Marine anymore."

He stood up abruptly, to say he was shocked was an understatement.

Kim Han Yoon had worked through hell to become a Marine, pushing through the demands of family, of emotions and her physical body. Always pushing herself to be the best she could, her personality and her behavior represented that.

So why did she finally give up after coming far? It made no sense and it pissed him off.

"What do you mean?! Why the fuck are you giving up now?! You've-"

"Lee! Calm down, let me explain." She gently placed a hand on his chest, both as a way to calm the angered man down and to urge him to sit back down.

Despite it the vexed expression still lingered on his face as he sat back down.

"I'm not giving up Lee, not now not ever. This is my life, a military life and nothing in the world can change that."

He slowly lost the angry expression in favor for a stony facade. He was still confused, she herself said she didn't want to be a Marine anymore. So why...he abruptly halted the train of thought.

'She couldn't be thinking of that could she?' He shook his head. 'No, no she is far smarter than this.' Unfortunately, he had his answer.

"Lee…I want to be in the 707th."

For a long while he stayed silent, not breaking eye contact with her. She held a hopeful expression, she wanted his support.

Something he couldn't give.

He slowly shook his head, as he did he saw a pained expression replace it and seeing it…..

 **It hurt.**

"I can't, I just can't... **why**? You're so much smarter than this, that life isn't…." He trailed off, not being able to find the proper words to express himself.

"...is it because-"

He cut her off, knowing her next words. "No, hell no. The fact that you're a female isn't the issue here."

"Then what is it?" She seemed almost desperate for an answer.

"The dangers are-"

"Don't spout that shit at me! I know the dangers, more than anyone!" She snapped at him. "So...why?" The pained look had returned, he would rather been the angry look instead. The expression of anguish on her face wasn't something he wanted to see.

"...can't you be honest with me?" She pleaded.

For the first time he tore his gaze away from the distraught marksman.

"...you'll be forgotten."

That had thrown her off guard.

"You'll be forever forgotten, no records or acknowledgement. You'll die alone in some foreign country away from family or friends. And you won't be remembered." He leveled a gaze at her.

That was the nature of a special forces operative. Every mission you did was off the record, seldom was credit given due. No one had known the man who had killed Kim Jung Un, the name was shrouded in secrecy but that wasn't the problem.

He knew Kim Han Yoon was a selfless individual by nature, recognition and fame wasn't on her to-do list. So why? Because he hated the idea of her dying alone in some foreign country. Korea wouldn't acknowledge nor mourn her death because at that point, you were a tool for the government.

A replacement wasn't far off.

"That kind of life isn't what you deserve, there's nothing t-" He cut himself off, he didn't want to continue but still he needed to know one thing.

"Why?" He finally asked, getting her attention.

She looked away. "I've got my reasons Lee." A moment of awkward silence passed before she spoke again. "What about you Lee? Are you saying you deserve to be forgotten?"

A short pause. "Better me than you."

"Is it?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it is."

Letting out a frustrated sigh she stood up and left the room.

He watched her leave out the corner of his eyes. It was only after the footsteps of her feet disappeared did Jong Han poke his head through the door.

"Some drama there."

John let out a tired sigh, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Yeah, drama I don't need." He was already feeling anxious about talking with his dad. He really didn't need this, especially now.

"She isn't going to be swayed John. She's too stubborn for that."

"I know."

Jong Hans eyes narrowed at the weak response. "If you're worried about her than train her."

John slowly craned his head upwards, matching his friends eye. He didn't say a word, silently urging him to continue.

"Showing off is something I can do, teaching isn't my strong point. Not saying you're a teacher or anything but….she'll take it better if you did it."

Still the unsure expression was plenty of evidence of the shaken state of Johns psyche. The whole situation with his father had taken a large toll on him and what happened a moment ago didn't help any.

It just wasn't his week.

"Well...let's get back to the others. Better than sitting here alone, maybe you could hook up with Shino or some shit." It would at the very least give him something to be distracted about.

Sighing for the umpteenth time John stood up before walking out of the room. Stepping into the hallway he turned to face Jong Han. "I'm getting drunk as shit tonight." He grunted out, changing his mind. "Whatever mistakes I make. I take full responsibility."

Jong Han let out an amused smile, this was going to be fun. "What about tomorrow?"

"Fuck it." The famous last words.

* * *

A/N: Yeah just gonna cut it here. The morning (Aftermath) will be the start of the next chapter, that's going to be fun.

One last thing before I go, look up MUSAT on YouTube, like no joke that is some scary shit. I came across it after binge watching a bunch of military videos and my freedom boner was hard as hell. So imagine my surprise when I find that. Freedom boner became a freedom rocket, sweet jesus that stuff is sexy. Makes me want to go back to South Korea and join up. But then again, guys in special forces aren't really what you call human. Whatever they say, they aren't human, only a superhuman would say they're human.

In any case, have fun and stay safe. Peace.


	8. Korea and Resolutions

Disclaimer: I own my ass and that's about it. All credit goes to the creators of Gate.

A/N: Chapter is late as hell but hey better late than never right? Anyway I'm not gonna bore you with my personal life, just knowing that it was hectic as fuck these last few weeks. Barely had time to write and if I did have time, I just wasn't motivated enough to write more than 4 hundred words in one sitting.

Anyway, on to the story.

* * *

Drinking was a cultural pastime for many countries, kind of. For the most part it was a way for friends and acquaintances to get together and socialize. Parties, get togethers or a simple night out being the most common for most people.

There were also people who found joy in drinking, whether that meant getting stone faced drunk or more elegantly tasting the vast quantities of alcohol available. It was up to the individual. Of course there were also people of found drinking as an outlet, a stress relief. Which was an almost guaranteed downhill road to becoming an alcoholic.

For Itami, he fell into the type who drank to socialize. He particularly didn't like drinking but it was a way to socialize and get closer to his friends and teammates. Which was the reason why he didn't have a hard time getting up in the morning.

No hangover for this lieutenant, no sir. Still he found some mild amusement in the suffering of the others most notably the Koreans.

Little known fact that Koreans **loved** to drink, more so than the Japanese and John and Jong Han were the prime examples.

With raised eyebrows he found John hobbling out of his room. Not surprisingly the Korean squad leader had an expression mixed between misery and regret.

Not saying a word Itami silently followed behind him, glancing at a naked Shino that was barely covered by the blankets.

'Wow, those two had some fun.' Itami thought to himself, keeping his footsteps as silent as he could. 'Sure hope they used protection.' Condoms or pills he didn't particularly care, only that some form of contraceptive was used.

He was positive that John didn't use condoms, wasn't the type nor did he see any when he glanced into the room.

'Probably pills unless Shino had her tubes tied.' Which didn't seem likely, Shino just didn't seem like the type who needed it because she wasn't the kind to "get around" with other men.

Shaking the thought away Itami watched in silence as John stumbled into a bathroom. With amusement he quietly leaned against the doorway as John practically dunked his head cool running water.

"Regretting something?" Itami asked in an amused voice. He could see John jump slightly in surprise, causing the water to splash a bit.

Lowering the stream of water to a slow but steady flow, John turned his head to face Itami. All the while keeping his head under the steady flow of water.

"I regret nothing." He winced at the pounding headache. "Fuck me I actually might regret it a little."

Itami frowned as he heard his scratchy voice. "Drink some water John, it may help."

Languidly nodding at the suggestion John turned his head once more and began drinking directly from the faucet.

"So," Itami started off. "Shino last night?" While seeing John experiencing a hangover was amusing, he still worried for his teammate. He wanted to avoid any emotional pain between any one of them if it could be helped.

Finally pulling his damp head away from the faucet John hung his head over the sink, letting the excess water to run off. "Yeah, Shino. Not sure how I feel about it to be honest."

Itami narrowed his eyes. "Why's that?"

"...she's a good girl Itami. A bit of a battle junky but a good girl nonetheless." He breathed out through his nose, perhaps it had been a mistake. "She seems like the kind to get attached."

"How do you figure?"

He answered back in an uncertain tone, unconsciously making hand gestures. "It's just...you know…didn't feel like a one time thing." It felt like having sex with a girlfriend, not a simple one night stand.

Itami crossed his arms, he figured that this might become an issue especially after Shino's drunken tirade last night about finding a man. A special forces man at that. Hell she had half threatened half begged him to find someone in the Special Operations Group.

"You know what's worse?" He continued. "She knows that I'm going to undergo training for the 707th soon." Alcohol aside that was probably the only reason why she had slept with him. Well at least he hoped.

Itami's mouth dropped in disbelief. "Your joining the 707th?!" He exclaimed, temporarily forgetting Johns hangover and causing a low groan from the man.

"Yes Itami scream a little louder would you?" He complained while holding his head. "Is it really that surprising? Everyone looks surprised as shit whenever I decide to tell them." Then again he was equally taken aback at Kim Han Yoon's confession that she wanted to join the 707th.

"Yes it is, quite a bit actually. You don't seem like the type to enjoy that kind of thing."

He scoffed at Itami's reply, like he could talk. "Really? You're in no position to say that Itami, just look at yourself in the mirror." Indeed Itami was someone who did his job to support his hobby. Nothing more nothing less that was what the man had said, yet he was special forces.

Itami shrugged, it wasn't not like he wanted to be one. He merely followed along the current and ended up where he ended up. It really wasn't his decision, honest.

"Anyway," Itami said, brushing over that particular topic. "Let's give the others 10 more minutes before we wake them up."

John gave Itami a blank stare with his lone eye. Whether it was from the hangover or in exasperation remained to be seen. "Itami, it's 10 minutes. It won't do them any good so just wake them up now. Let's get an early start."

They didn't have a lot to do today but what they had to do was very important. They needed to be more than ready for the upcoming conference between them and the Korean and US president.

"Are you sure? It's just 10 minutes."

John continued to give him a deadpan glare. "Itami, the ten minutes we let them spend sleeping can be used to inform them of the exact details of today. That's not mentioning the girls."

They had put the talk off last night, giving the team a free night to relieve some stress but now it was go time. Time was precious when they would be leaving Japan in only 2 and a half hours.

Itami stayed silent as he thought over the situation before staring back John's tired look. 'Chances are he'd probably go ahead and wake everyone up even if I say otherwise.' He thought to himself. So there really was only one option left.

He sighed in acceptance. "Alright, I get it. Let's get everyone up." However before John could respond he quickly added. "You can wake up Shino, I'll go get the others." And without waiting for a response darted out of the bathroom, leaving John alone.

For a moment he stared at the air that had itami had occupied with an annoyed expression. He let his shoulders sag as he exhaled. 'Mental note, get back at Itami.' With that done he straightened his shoulders and walked out of the bathroom, not caring for his damp head. He'd dry it off later.

As he reached his room he found the doors completely closed, much to his surprise. 'Probably Itami.' He surmised. Not that he could blame the guy considering he let Shino's private parts out for the world to see when he left the door wide open.

Firmly gripping the door he slid the door open revealing an all too familiar scene of strewn out blankets and a very naked Shino. Stepping into the room he closed the door before approaching the sleeping female.

"This isn't awkward at all." He quietly mumbled to himself. Still he couldn't deny the natural beauty that Shino possessed, not that he would ever deny it.

He kneeled and gently gripped her shoulders before lightly shaking her, causing her to moan in protest. Sighing in exasperation he shook her harder, jolting her awake by the sudden and harsh action.

As she sat up she held her head as she felt the backlash of last night's drinking, she didn't even notice her state of undress. Not that he would ever tell her otherwise, he was content with the free show.

Finally she turned to face John with a heavy-eyed expression. "Mmm morning John."

"Good morning to you too Shino." He crossed his arms. "Now as much as you probably have a headache right now you need to get up to get ready for our flight to Korea." Seeing her drowsy look he lightly slapped her face, forcing her into attention momentarily.

"...get ready for Korea?" She asked, her body swaying as she struggled to stay conscious.

Sighing he tiredly nodded. "Yes, get ready for Korea." He reached over and put in his eye patch on before making his out of the room. As he stood by the door he turned to face her. "Wash your face and drink some water, it'll help somewhat." With the message sent he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving Shino alone.

As she heard his retreating footsteps over the pounding headache she let out a tired sigh before finally noticing her naked state. "Wow I gave him a free show without even knowing. Don't I feel embarrassed." She mumbled in a bland voice. In all honesty though she really didn't care if John saw her naked.

'He pretty much saw everything last night anyway.' She thought to herself while preparing for the day's events. In the end she was fine as long as he didn't start spreading rumors or the sort which she knew he wasn't going to do.

Well she hoped. You never knew with John.

* * *

For what seemed like the umpteenth time John let out a sigh as he eyed the last person that walked into their little impromptu meeting.

'Gonna need to work out after this. Gotta clear my head.' He silently told himself. The cobwebs still hadn't gone away, much to his displeasure. Suddenly he was broken away from his thoughts by Itami clearing his throat, getting the attention of everyone present.

"Okay so first things first, good morning everyone. Hope you all enjoyed the your brief time of rest so far because we're getting right back to it today." By "it" he had meant the political mess they were involved in.

"At 0930 hours we have to be at Yokota Air Base to catch our ride to Osan Air Base in Korea. There we'll take a car to a hotel, drop off our stuff and get ready for the conference which is at 1330 hours on the dot."

He continued to elaborate with all eyes on him. "To get into specifics, we're going to have a welcoming party for us when we land in Osan Air Base." He jerked a thumb to John. "That means the Koreans are leading this, we're the guests there. Don't forget that." Especially when you consider the questionable relationship between the two countries. If they did something that remotely undermined or looked to undermine Korean authority then there would be hell to pay.

He had meant that more to the girls than his soldiers. Itami knew that they understood that they were walking on a tightrope but the girls didn't. They had a clue yes, especially after the museum visit where the deep rooted hate between their countries were revealed. They understood it was politicians that was maintaining the centuries year old status quo, not the people. However in the end they merely had an idea.

Itami exhaled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Also after the conference we've got the museum visit set up for the first day but what about the second? Anyone got any ideas?"

John spoke up, getting his attention. "Most of my guys are visiting family so they can't play tourist." He jerked a thumb to Shino and Kim Han Yoon. "Jong Han and I have a playdate with those two over there and unfortunately I can't bring the rest of you guys because I don't have the space."

"So you're basically saying…."

He nodded. "Yep, use the Internet and have fun."

Itami let out sigh in a mixture between relief and annoyance. Relief that he didn't have to do anything, he could literally sleep the whole day if he wanted to. On the other hand he was annoyed that he would be the one finding and scheduling everything if he wanted to do something.

"Fine, we'll work something out." He said in an exasperated tone.

"I'm sure you will." John commented off handedly before facing the girls. "Now, I'm going to lay down some ground rules for you guys alright?"

The girls nodded.

"Good, it's really simple. Act as you did here in Japan. Be polite, don't act out...you know the deal by now." They nodded. "The one thing you need to keep a lid on is your experience in Japan."

Lelei spoke up for the first time that morning. "I assume it's because of the relationship between Korea and Japan?"

John gave her an appreciative glance. "Yeah it is. If you're asked about your experience then by all means go ahead and answer but otherwise keep it quiet."

"I see...is that it?" Rory asked, complete with her priestess outfit and wrapped up halberd.

"Almost." John took a drink of water, he was still feeling the hangover. "As for the conference, it won't be as...high stakes as the one with the Diet because it won't be televised, we have that going for us at least." Even so they were still meeting with the Korean and US president, it was hard not to get anxious or nervous. Particularly him due to the...estranged relationship between him and his father.

It was something he still planned on taking care of after the conference but he couldn't help but be a bit nervous.

He shook his head. "Yeah…and that's just about the gist of it. All that's left is to prepare and get everything ready for the trip."

Itami nodded. "As he said, let's get everything ready, including uniforms. Make sure your haircuts are up to regulations, if not we can stop at a barbershop after we drop off Risa. Sound good?"

"Yes sir." The team chorused in unison.

"Right then, let's get this done quickly. We don't have much time.""

* * *

"Hey Lee?"

John opened his eyes and turned to face Kim Han Yoon who was sitting several seats over.

After having dropped off Risa, the team had gone to the barbershop for a well needed haircut. Then they had raced to Yokota Air Base for their 2 hour flight to Osan Air Base.

"Yeah? What is it?" He asked while getting comfortable as the private jet began its takeoff procedures. It was going to be a long 2 hour flight but then again he didn't mind. Not when they were flying in something like this.

"What's up with the little "play date" you mentioned for me and Kuribayashi in the morning?" The question had garnered the attention of the mentioned female, who had turned around in her seat.

"I was actually wondering the same thing, I just didn't want to be the first to ask."

He shrugged in response. "It was something I thought of before I went to sleep." Which was actually pretty late but that was neither here nor there.

Shino leaned forward in interest. "Which was?"

"Simple, you two are the only ones interested in special operations. So...I'm giving you two a tour of what you might be going through in the future." The nonchalant manner he had said that threw almost everyone for a loop.

Almost, Jong Han was a different story.

Kim Han Yoon gave him a bewildered stare, she hadn't forgotten what had transpired last night between them. "...I'm sorry what?"

"Yeah," He started, uncaring for the surprised and shocked expressions. "You two are getting a first hand look on special operations training."

From his seat Itami frowned as he heard John's declaration. "You sure that's allowed John?" He was skeptical of John's decision. Chances were they would be stopped before they even stepped foot into the training grounds.

In a tired manner John waved Itami off. "Yeah yeah it's legal Itami, don't worry I got all the bases covered."

If anything the gesture caused Itami to stare at John with a scrutinizing gaze. "That's pretty vague there, care to elaborate?"

"People in the right places Itami, nothing more nothing less." And with that the man reclined in his seat before closing his already half lidded eyes, hangover was a bitch.

With the conversation over Itami gave the man one last look before looking out the window. Whatever John had planned, he was sure it would be something the two women would remember, for better or worse.

Closing his eyes he let the excited chatter of the girls wash over him as he thought back to his ex-wife. 'I'll be back Risa. That much I can promise you.' And he did promise her before they parted ways. It would be a promise he would keep because perhaps in a weird roundabout way, he still loved her.

'Wonder if John has anyone like that?' He held in a snort at the thought. John was a good guy for sure, most definitely reliable under pressure but his attitude in general didn't really mix well with the opposite gender. Especially considering his rather objectified views against women.

Despite it though. 'I'd trust him to have my back.' Asshole or not, he was still a good soldier.

Mentally shaking the thoughts away Itami let his breathing steady and tuned out any distractions, he needed a nap.

* * *

Perhaps it was the nerves or maybe it was the lingering hangover but when John jolted awake the first thing he felt was the need for water.

Half grumbling and half complaining he spoke to one of his squad mates in front of him presumably Hyun Ben. He really couldn't tell to be honest.

"Hey could you get me a drink of water?" His mouth felt like sandpaper.

He could hear a quiet affirmative before a single figure stood up and made their way towards the back of the cabin. Through his bleary single right eye he gazed at the moving figure before closing them again.

He really felt like shit now. 'Maybe it would have been better to stay awake?' Probably but nothing he could do now except to deal with it. He just hoped it would die down or go away before they landed.

Speaking of which. How long was it until touchdown?

He opened his mouth to talk before closing them immediately, water first.

Suddenly he felt the cool feeling of a water bottle being placed in his hands.

"...here sir." Ah, he knew that monotone voice.

In a desperate manner he opened the top before he chugged down the water in large gulps. It was only after he felt no more water that he opened his eyes and gave the previously blurry figure an appreciative look.

"Thanks Bun Jung Hua." In response the quiet second in command nodded before retaking his seat.

Giving his second in command one last look John put the empty water bottle off to the side.

"So...does anyone know our ETA?" He asked to no one in particular.

"10 minutes."

John clicked his tongue at the response. He had slept more than he had wanted to.

"Alright," He grunted out before standing up, getting the attention of everyone present. "Now normally Itami would be in charge considering he's the senior officer here but since we're going to Korea…" He let the sentence hang there, they all knew why.

"In any case," He continued. "If you've forgotten, I'm the unfortunate soul leading us. At least for the moment." Receiving nods of acknowledgement he gave them a lazy thumbs up before sitting back down.

He craned his head back for one last message. "Oh and one more thing, smile for the welcoming party."

From her seat towards the rear of the plane Pina furrowed her brows at the statement. "Welcoming party?"

Besides her Bozes answered. "A ceremony, Princess Pina."

She nodded her head as she remembered. "Ah, I see… and if I remember correctly then only the welcoming ceremony will be available to the public."

"Correct, the actual conference will be...as they put it "behind closed doors.""

Pina let out a relieved sigh at that. This world and it's technology was stressing for her to wrap her head.

The ability to fly in metal contraptions, fight in armored beasts and communicate over vast distances in a blink of an eye was amazing to say the least. The scariest perhaps even a cause for disbelief was that everything was created by humans for humans.

Such things, such concepts could only be imagined or built by the gods of their world. They held the sole power to do so. At least until now.

It was both frightening and exciting to know such potential of humans.

Frightening in that such power came with equal parts responsibility, something many lacked. She shuddered to think what her brother would do if he wielded a fraction of the power displayed by this world.

'Japan isn't even considered a giant in terms of their military power.' She reminded herself. After coming to this world she had learned of their political and economical focus with their military focusing on primarily self defense.

She briefly stole a glance at John. 'And the Koreans supposedly wield a larger and better military than the Japanese.' A hard concept to accept, she'd believe it when she saw it.

However it was also exciting to think her race was capable of such achievements because despite being from differing worlds, humans were still humans.

She was broken from her thoughts by the soft jerking of the plane. Looking outside she was greeted with the fast moving blur of the ground.

They had landed.

Nervousness began to build inside her chest. Another country, another culture and another potential ally. It threatened to overwhelm her but there was no going back now, the gate was far far away. Farther than she could ever imagine.

She bit her lips as she saw the large and busy air base. Even in the cabin of the plane she could hear the thunderous roars of their flying contraptions. It was much like everything else in this world, unnatural, at least to her.

She was snapped into attention by a looming shadow. Jumping slightly she greeted the Korean squad leader.

"Oh! Umm...is there anything you need?" She asked in a shaky voice. Her nervousness was beginning to ssep through.

John shook his head. "Nah, just coming back here to give you some reassurance, you looked nervous."

She frowned, she didn't want to be seen as shaken or nervous but in the end there was only so much she could hide. "Yes, I guess I was a bit nervous."

Internally she winced at her own words. She was more than a "bit" nervous.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, as long as you behaved like you did with the Japanese delegates then you'll be fine."

A frown marred his face soon afterwards. "Like I said before, just don't start comparing us with Japan. These politicians are uppity when it comes to Japan." As it had been for a very long time.

Only this time they were making moves to completely overwhelm Japan by using the Gate and the world beyond it. This was a golden opportunity for the politicians but it came at the expense of men and women of both sides.

Such was the nature of politics and John hated it with a passion.

Pina nodded back resolutely. "I understand."

"Good." John said in a satisfied manner. Afterwards he leaned down to peek through the window.

They had come to a full stop.

Sighing at the upcoming events John straightened his back and made his way to the forward exit.

Standing in front of the door he found everyone else standing at the ready. Letting his shoulders sag briefly he straightened himself out once more and put on a neutral face devoid of any emotion.

"Alright guys smile for the cameras." With that he opened the door and made his way down the stairs that had been pulled up to the plane.

The rest of his squad followed close behind, shoulders straight, chests out and face in a neutral expression. Whatever sense of nervousness was unseen as the squad squashed down the feeling.

The effects were immediate as the cameras flashed repeatedly, almost blinding the soldiers.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs John marched in a slow but crisp manner, walking through the honor guard that had lined up on both sides.

With every step he found his heart beat ever wildly as he found the Korean and US presidents at the end.

This was far worse than he had ever imagined.

While John was steadily beginning to feel ever more apprehensive, the otherworldly visitors stepped out of the plane and began their descent down the stairs.

As they did so, despite what they had been told beforehand they immediately began to make comparisons between the two countries. In contrast with Japan, Korea already showed their heavier focus in the military. That much was evident with the honor guard that had lined up on either sides, creating a lane for them to pass through.

As Pina walked through the flanking lanes of the honor guards she found herself appreciating the rigid and professional look of the Korean soldiers. Growing up in a militaristic family made her more appreciative of military power than anything else, for better or worse.

She came to a stop as she found the Korean squad lined up besides each other in rigid attention, right behind them the Japanese element following suite. Looking past the uniformed bodies she found two striking individuals.

Not in the sense that they were particularly different but due to the way everyone had surrounded the two individuals.

Protection, was the first thought that came to mind and if she guessed right then these two would be the leaders of Korea and the United States that she had been hearing about.

Slowly and methodically she saw the two step forward to greet the soldiers.

The Korean president was first.

"Welcome back Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung." The president said while firmly shaking John's hand.

John responded back in a low voice while keeping his military bearing. "Good to be back sir."

His voice didn't betray the swirl of emotions he felt.

Nodding back the president moved down, greeting John's second in command in a similar manner. Following right behind him was another worldly figure.

President Darrell, the president of the United States.

Once again John gripped the extended hand of the US president.

"Good to finally, meet you Sergeant First Class **John** Lee. How's that new eye treating you by the way?" He had spoke in English, knowing the birthplace of the squad leader.

For the briefest of moments John was silent as he played that back in his mind. The US President had called him by his American name instead of the name formally recognized by the Korean government.

He was born in the United States and lived there for 2 years before coming to what was then, South Korea. Technically speaking, he was still an American citizen even if he got a citizenship for Korea and was currently in the Korean military.

So in reality the US did have a stake in this, much more than anyone would've thought of. After all, a US citizen was at Ginza and a US citizen had fought and bled in the Special Region.

A single US citizen, **him**.

"Thank you sir and my eye has been good sir." His response was respectful but short.

Ever keeping his smile the President of the United States moved down the line.

As the two leaders continued their greetings John bit the inside of his cheeks.

This was why he hated politicians, sometimes they were too smart for their own good.

* * *

"Please have a seat." With that the Korean president gestured for everyone to sit. Following the suggestion President Darrell took a seat at one of the seats at the large oval table. Following suite John took a seat opposite of the president, prompting the rest of the team and girls to do so.

Sitting in his seat John let his lone eye wander as he took in the conference room.

It was a rather spartan room with the occasional furniture but for the most it was rather empty with the large conference table taking up the majority of the room. He did however find the outside view of the skyscrapers oddly pleasing, which was surprising considering he didn't really like the heavy congested cities.

"So I see that you've still got on your eyepatch. How is it if I may ask?" The sudden question from the Korean president snapped him back to attention.

He cleared his throat. "It's been good sir, I should be combat ready soon sir." Hell he was combat ready right now but saying that would only make him out to be an idiot.

Rest when the opportunity comes, that was one of the more important things his mentor had taught him and Jong Han.

"Good to hear. I also read the reports of the Battle of Italica." President Lee Gan Hu smiled in praise. "I'm very impressed, you'll have a bright military career if you keep this up."

"Indeed," President Darrell said, cutting in. " your performance in the Special Region has been nothing short of spectacular so far. Including killing the flame dragon during the evacuation of Coda Village."

John bowed slightly in gratitude. "Thank you sir." Still though he felt the compliment was merely skin deep, nothing more than pretty words.

Fucking politicians.

"And while I am grateful for your compliments it was more than just me. Everyone had their part to play during the evacuation." He internally winced at the sugary yet humble tone his voice had taken. A facade at its finest.

The president nodded. "I see and humble too." Locking eyes he continued. "You would've made a fine addition to our military force."

John merely nodded at the compliment. Again, another compliment that was skin deep.

The man was a politician through and through but then again the same could be said about his own father.

So blinded by his pursuit of the presidency that he neglected his partner, ruining the relationship.

It was times like these John often wondered what would happen if a different choice, a different action had been made.

The butterfly effect if you will. John Titor and his shenanigans in the early 21st century was definitely something that made a man think even if it was debunked as false information.

In fact it was enough for the creation of a certain mad scientist and his genius yet perverted assistant.

But that was neither here nor there.

Still though could've, would've, should've. Didn't matter what happened in the past, all that mattered was the present and future.

Suddenly President Lee Gan Hu cleared his throat. "Indeed, now." He turned to face the girls. "Princess Pina Co Lada, once again it's a pleasure to meet you."

Jumping a bit at the sudden transition Pina stammered out a quick response. "Y-yes, it's an honor to meet you, President Lee Gan Hu. I've heard a lot about Korea during my time with your soldiers."

He gave her a small smile. "I see and I hope you've been enjoying yourself so far."

"Yes, I have and I look forward to our future endeavors."

Glancing from his seat several seats over John gave the princess a pleasantly surprised look. 'Huh, I guess being raised in a royal family means something.' Politics played a major role within the Imperial royal family after all.

For the time being he let himself fall back into obscurity, letting the rest of the team and girls get the spotlight. He was content with them taking the lead on this and quite frankly he really didn't want to deal with the silent political battle between the Korean and US presidents.

So he kept quiet and much to his relief by the time the conference had ended he had only said a handful of sentences.

Standing up with everyone else John let the Korean president lead the farewells and goodbyes.

"As unfortunate as it is, we have to end it here for this conference." Keeping a small smirk on his face President Lee Gan hu turned his American counterpart. "As always it was a pleasure in having you here."

Standing up President Darrell replied back in a polite tone. "Oh no the pleasure was all mine, few would've had the chance such as I had this afternoon."

John had to resist rolling eyes. It was rather painfully obvious that there was some tension between the two, most likely due to the political shitstorm that Korea and Japan were in right now.

'For the love of Buddha just go away.' He thought to himself as he shook the hands of the American president.

It wasn't out of disrespect, honest. It was just that he had some personal issues to take care of that was far more important.

Okay so yes, maybe a little bit of disrespect.

Actually a lot of disrespect in reality, a dirty politician was dirty no matter how hard they wished to cover it up.

Of course he kept that line of thought to himself, he'd rather like to avoid trouble with what was arguably one of the most powerful men in the world.

With another brief round of farewells the US President finally left the room. After a short moment the Japanese detail bid their own farewells before stepping out of the room, following closely behind them were the girls and the rest of the team.

The only exception was John, much to everyone's confusion however before anyone could say anything Jong Han quickly ushered them out of the room.

As John stood on the precipice, he felt his heart beat wildly within his chest. Now it was just him and the most powerful man of Korea, President Lee Gan Hu.

And his father.

"Is there something wrong Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung?"

Oh yeah there something most definitely wrong.

John took a deep breath, a vain effort to calm his nerves. It was too late to back out now. "Yes sir, it's about…." He paused, how the hell was he supposed to word this? He wasn't the most articulate person to do this. After brief moment though the answer came to him.

Fuck it all. All in. Balls deep.

"Yeah there's a problem, it about this dysfunctional fucked up mess of a father-son bullshit we have going on right now."

Eyes wide at the sudden change in tone the president stood there with dropped jaws and in silence. The sudden bringing up family issues was the furthest thing that he had expected to hear.

Shocked into silence the president could only stare at the Korean squad leader. If fact even the guards that had been stationed in room were shocked by the sudden outburst.

And these guys were one of the most lethal yet professional guys under the charge of protecting the president.

"I-I see…" Was all he said in return.

Awkward silence filled the room before John pointed at one of the guards still in the room.

Snapping out of his stunned state President Lee Gan Hu motioned for them to leave. There was only the slightest bit of hesitation before the guards stationed around the room walked out of the room in a quick and quiet manner.

Turning back to his son the president gestured for him to sit, to which John did right across from him.

As the two sat across from each other they sat in silence as they stared at each other.

President Lee Gan Hu finally broke the silence. "So what about our "father-son bullshit?"" Despite his stony expression all he could feel on the inside was myriad of conflicting emotions.

Surprise and hope being chief among them.

John nodded resolutely. "Yeah, one way or the other this needed to addressed."

He raised an eyebrow. "And today was that day?"

"Yes, do you have a problem?"

Crass. That was the first thought that came to mind as their conversation kicked off. He had expected something a bit more...refined but he supposed he shouldn't complain.

Underneath the blood relationship they were practically strangers after all.

This would be their first attempt at learning just what kind of person each of them were. He wanted to drop the facade of the president, of the politician that ruined their family but…

'I've worn this face for so long that I can't tell which is the real me.' He had no lover or friend, no one to be himself around all the years. He was always Lee Gan Hu, the president but even so he had to try.

He took a deep breath. "I suppose not, though this was rather spontaneous."

John's eyes narrowed a bit. "Yes because you would've had the time to deal with little old me."

President Lee Gan Hu opened his mouth to give him a response but nothing came out. "I suppose you're not wrong." He mumbled.

That being said, it wasn't as if he could spend all day on this. His presidential duties made sure that his schedule would be always busy.

"Now, I know that you've got a bunch of politics to worry about so I'll make this a short as possible." John's voice was even, if a bit sarcastic in its nature. "So simply put I want to hear your side of the story."

"What?" For the second time today the president's eyes widened in surprise.

John nodded. "Yeah see the thing is, I've always heard my mom's side of the story and you can bet that it was never positive." He leaned forward and rested his chin on top of his clasped hands.

For a moment Lee Gan Hu fell into silence as he brought up the last memories of his family tearing apart. "I was selfish." He admitted in shame. "At the time I was so caught up in my political career that I neglected your pregnant mother."

He sighed, it was something he would rather not have brought up again. "I ignored her and her warnings and well…" He threw up his hands. "Here we are."

Finishing his brief story Lee Gan Hu stared at John, gauging his reaction. Surprisingly there weren't any bursts of anger or anything along that line. No what emanated from the squad leader was nothing more than acceptance.

"So, she wasn't exaggerating." John finally sighed out.

He shook his head in a slow manner, full of remorse. "Unfortunately not."

The two fell back into silence having nothing else to say for the moment.

"The Special Region." John perked up as he heard his father speak up again. "Tell me about the Special Region."

John let himself relax a bit. He supposed a normal conversation was out of reach considering everything. Even so this was a suitable substitute, talking about the Special Region that is.

"Well for one," He started off getting comfortable in his chair. "There isn't any pollution, air feels like you're breathing air and not glorified carbon emissions."

* * *

"What's taking him so long?" Itami complained while pacing around the lobby.

Sitting in a seat Jong Han opened his eyes and gave the Japanese lieutenant a vexed look. "For the last fucking time, give the man a bit of time. He'll be done shortly."

Halting, Itami turned to face the seated corporal. "Define "shortly" for me because the last time you said that was an hour ago."

The fact that Jong Han had been avoiding his questions didn't help any. He didn't even bat an eye despite the good portion of the team pressuring him, claiming he wasn't in the position to say.

Which got everyone thinking. Perhaps he was in trouble but if that was true then it wouldn't be the president himself giving out the punishment. That rested on the responsibilities of the military leadership.

There was also the errant thought of John being some sort of agent, the top secret kind of stuff but that notion was thrown out as quick as it came.

'No way.' He thought to himself but as he did so he remembered that this was John, the guy who was given the green light to undergo training to become a 707. It was a wonder he even passed the 10 day selection that weeded out the majority of the applicants. In fact it was even more of a wonder on how Jong Han passed it too, considering their all to wonderful personalities.

Then again, he had given up on trying to figure out those two a while back. One minute they were practically sexually harassing the females and the next they were well oiled killing machines.

Even so however this was something else entirely. This wasn't some situation where Itami could turn a blind eye. Hell no, not when it involved the president of Korea.

"Well speak of the devil." Jong Han murmured, getting the attention of those around him.

Turning to face the sounds of dress shoes hitting the floor, they found the Korean squad leader languidly approaching the group.

He raised a hand in greeting. "Hey, thanks for waiting." With a wave of his hand the man continued past the silent group.

Reaching out, Itami firmly grasped the soldiers wrist.

"What the hell was that all about?" He questioned.

Not looking back John shrugged, showing his nonchalant attitude. "Meh, nothing much. Just got reunited with old papa bear and shit."

Itami's grip tightened before loosening, ultimately letting John go entirely. "...fine, if you want to joke around then go ahead. I shouldn't have even asked in the first place." With he turned away from John, annoyed by his attitude.

Giving Itami one last look John shrugged before slowly walking away in the same pace he had arrived. Catching up to him, Jong Han fell in place besides him.

"You know the what's the shitty thing about being me is?" John suddenly asked, keeping his uncaring expression.

"Everything."

John snorted in amusement. "Nah, it's just that sometimes people misinterpret my sarcasm." In essence they got tired of his "bullshit" which was exactly why he did it.

Itami internally sighed. Those two were apparently good enough to pass through the rigorous initial screening of the 707 selection process. Now that just wasn't right, at least he was just lacking in motivation. Those two were bordering on the point of insanity in some cases.

Okay, well not that bad but the point was, the two childhood friends were hardly what many would consider to be the image of elite soldiers who kicked names and took ass. Then again he got into SOG during his younger days, who's to say they wouldn't be able to become a 707?

Of course there was also the mysterious mentor of the two. Sadist, they had called their mentor followed by a haunted expression. Most likely to scare or pull the strings of the team, he doubted it was that bad.

He rolled his shoulders in efforts to stretch some of the muscles. "Alright guys, lets go get settled in our hotel." With a chorus of affirmatives the team followed by the girls made their way out of the building.

Outside they were met by the bustling capital city of Seoul. Taking a deep breath to relieve some of the restless in his body Itami took a look around the mega city.

The Reunification War had done a number on the city during the opening days of the war. The city was very close to the old 38th parallel, well within artillery striking distance of North Korea. Even now some 12 years after the end of the war, there was still evidence of the once shattered skylines. Seoul was still healing and Itami knew it.

He knew there were places in Seoul that only the desperate or insane lived. Places where the police used assault rifles and shotguns more than their pistols. Yet at the same time, Seoul thrived as one of the world's biggest cities.

For the girls, this was a new adventure. New culture, new things to learn and new things to appreciate and drool over.

* * *

John let out a tired sigh as he let himself fall back on the hotel bed. Reaching up he pulled the eyepatch off, another attempt to see if his new eye was up to shape.

He blinked several times to blink away some of the blurriness. Closing his right eye he focused on the ceiling with his new left eye.

Little bit longer was the conclusion he came to, albeit with some deal of frustration. He just wanted to see out of both eyes again properly. He kind of liked it in the Special Region.

It was peaceful there, relatively speaking of course.

"Bing bong motherfucker, guess we're roomies." Ah he knew that voice.

Tilting his head to the door he found a grinning Jong Han standing there with his luggage. "Yeah, just don't hop beds again."

A sour look crossed Jong Hans face. "That was when we were fucking kids, get over it."

"Dumbass, we were 15." John shot back while rolling onto his sides.

"Exactly, kids." His brows furrowed in a frown. "By the way, how'd everything go with your dad? You were in there for a while."

A hopeful expression crossed John's face, not that Jong Han could see it with his back to him. "Went decently, talked about shit and stuff. We plan on talking a bit more." He waved his phone for emphasis.

Jong Han moved over to the vacant bed and sat down, the springs groaning as weight was put on the bed. "What'd you guys talk about?"

"About the Special Region mostly."

Jong Han gave him a bewildered expression. "Why?"

He shrugged. "It's the best we could do. Talking about our personal lives is a bit much right off the bat. At least with the Special Region, we've got some common ground." Sighing he continued. "Besides the guy knows only political talk, it's all he's been doing these last what? 20 or so years."

In a way he pitied his father. Sure he was the president but he had no one to support him. No one besides his own parents and siblings to talk to and even then it wasn't enough with his hectic schedule. Friends crushed and pushed away under the weight of his presidency.

It was a lonely existence, one his father lived for 2 decades.

Jong Han grunted at the answer, accepting it. "Guess I can understand. Anyway," He said, changing the subject. "Give me a rundown on our little play date a day from now."

John hummed in response before sitting back up. "Well you know that we're bringing Shino and Kim Han Yoon to the playground." Playground, referring to the base where the 707 prospects trained.

"Might even see the old man." John mumbled in an afterthought.

"Oh fuck all kinds of hell if we do." Jong Han groused. A meeting with the sadistic bastard never ended normally.

John nodded in agreement. "Yeah, well I just thought showing those two some of the training they can look forward in future will be a good thing. Make sure they're mentally and physically prepared."

Though if he was honest he couldn't see Kim Han Yoon passing anytime soon. As far as he knew she had been planning on becoming an officer soon and her confession of wanting to join the 707 left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He didn't want that for her, not now when her potential future as an officer was looking brighter than ever. Joining the 707th Special Missions Battalion was more detrimental than advantageous. That was what he thought.

"No bitch balls John. If you're gonna support her, do it right."

John narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Kim Han Yoon. I know you don't approve of her choice but if you're gonna help her then do it right. No half-hearted bullshit." Do it right or not do it at all was what Jong Han was saying.

Rolling his eyes John began rummaging through his bags for his civilian clothing. He wanted to to get out of his dress blues.

"Another thing." Jong Han continued, leaning back and unbuttoning his uniform. "Why Shino? Have you fallen for her womanly charms last night?" It didn't make sense to him that John would string along Shino when you consider the fact that she was Japanese. Personally speaking he didn't have an issue but the government sure as hell did and because of it, getting Shino through security would be a pain in the ass to deal with.

John let out a scoff. "Hardly. The girl's got a good face and body but otherwise she's meh." A battle junky that one was but in her own unique way she'd grown on him over the last couple months.

"Then why? Seems like more trouble than it's worth in my opinion." Jong Han grumbled out.

"Good thing I can care less about your shitty opinion."

Jong Han clicked his tongue at that. He could go further but then they'd get into an endless argument and eventually forget about the shit they had to do. Namely showing the girls around Seoul.

Letting out a sigh as a way to calm himself down he began pulling out his civilian clothes.

"You don't think the girls will get on the K-pop hype train that has been going on lately, do you?" He asked after a moment of silence.

A hopeless look crossed John's face. "I have a feeling they will but you never know, K-pop isn't for everyone."

"Yeah that's what they said 6 months ago but look now, everywhere you go it's K-pop and those fake ass groupies." Jong Han said in a sarcastic tone.

John sighed in reluctance. "Too true."

Jong Han continued, his voice slowly gaining volume. "Like shit man, are we like the only motherfuckers who enjoy Pillar, 3 Days Grace and guys like them? Because I swear to Buddha and the wrinkled balls of Confucius, we are. Not even that, put on some rap and you get the same shit. Put on some country and same shit. Like what the fuck?!"

Snorting in amusement John headed over to the door. "Enough of that, let's go we can't keep the others waiting."

With a near silent grunt Jong Han pushed himself off the bed and made his way to his squad leader. Holding the door open for himself he slipped past the doorway before closing it with a low click.

As the two walked to the front lobby they let a comfortable silence settled between them. Both had retreated into their own thoughts for the remainder of the trip down.

Reaching the lobby desk they found the rest of their little group present.

Taking a brief glance around them, John found themselves at the focus of attention from practically everyone else in the area. The low whispers and not so subtle pointing made it pretty easy for anyone with half a brain to realize that.

It wasn't all that surprising really with them being on TV for the Diet conference. It made them quite famous on the world stage. Which sucked, he preferred ambiguity over recognition any day of the week.

"Alright." He called out, getting the attention of those present. "Follow me, I'll show you guys around and if you want you can split off from the main group. Just make sure one of us," He gestured to the Korean squad members. "Is with you."

Receiving an excited nod from the group he sighed and made his way out of the hotel.

This was going to be a pain in the ass.

* * *

Itami let out a tired grunt as he flopped back onto his bed. The day had been fun overall even with the whole situation between the president and John earlier in the day. He still wanted to know what was going on but he had long since dropped the issue, content on letting John or Jong Han bring it up when they felt comfortable. For the moment at least, no telling if he'd press for answers later.

Looking up at the white ceiling he thought of the schedule tomorrow which consisted of going to the Seoul War and Peace Museum.

He knew the girls were excited about that particular trip, much like how they were excited for their trip to the museums in Japan. Their favorite features had been the VR headsets.

It had given them a taste of life was like in Japan during a certain period.

He wondered what they'll be shown there. Most likely stuff on the military history given the fact that the museum was one dedicated to showing battles from the past.

"Wouldn't be surprised if they show them the Turtle ship." He mumbled to himself, yawning afterwards.

The Turtle ship had been the pride of Korea for a very long time, well that and Admiral Yi Sun Shin.

With heavy eyelids Itami let himself wiggle under the covers. He'd sleep a bit early tonight, hopefully whenever his roomate came in he wouldn't make a ton of noise.

Honestly he just wanted to sleep if only to get away from the rising issue with Chuka. Her insistence of him being her father was beginning to get ridiculous and worrisome.

He had to find a way to help her and he had to do it quickly before any permanent damage could be done.

Inwardly sighing he shook his head before relaxing. Tomorrow would be a busy day.

* * *

Whipping her head from side to side Pina rapidly took in the scenery around them.

All around them there were military vehicles, some old some new. They haven't even gone inside yet already she could feel herself getting wide eyed as she saw the dormant metal beasts.

"You can touch them Pina, no one will care." Pina turned to the voice. Standing in simple jeans and black hoodie was John. Hands in his pocket he jerked his head towards one of the aging vehicles, silently urging her to get closer.

Giving him an excited nod she hurried over to one of the vehicles, a tank or a main battle tank if she remembered correctly

Standing in front of the armored beast she gingerly laid her fingertips on the machine. The metal felt cool to the touch, almost relaxing but she remembered that this was not a machine designed for peace. It was a machine made by humans for war, to kill.

Stepping up next her John spoke up in a low voice. "That's the K1. Korea's first indigenous main battle tank. Saw service right up through the Reunification War." The old girl had just been replaced by the K2 and its variants as Korea's backbone of MBTs. If he remembered right then the first next gen K3 MBTs would be sent to the 20th Mechanized Division.

"Incredible." She whispered in awe. "Can you tell me more?"

"Of course." He replied in an encouraging tone, thank god he had the smarts to do some research beforehand. Then again, the history of the vehicles were planted on the sign in front them but it never hurt to be knowledgeable.

From the corner of his eyes he found everyone breaking off into their own groups before finding their own points of interest. Suddenly a large bundle of cloth stood in front of him. Following down the handle he found Rory standing there with her usual mischievous smile.

"May I join?" Inwardly he let out a complaint of having accept the apostle. She was a handful on the best of days, he shuddered to think how she'd be on a bad day.

"Sure, follow me." Looking around he found the princess already several vehicles over, still excitedly looking and feeling the war machines.

Ambling over to her he found her standing in front of an F-15. To his amusement he found both females looking at the jet with an almost reverent expression.

"Good eye that's the F-15 Eagle, great plane. Saw decades of service all around the globe."

Pina ran her hands along the wings. "Did it see use in the Reunification War?"

John shook his head. "For the most part no, by that time the F-15 was replaced by unmanned fighters." Didn't mean all fighters were without a human occupant. Pilots still had a role in the air.

Pina took a step back from the aged fighter, a look of concentration marring her face. "Unmanned….does that mean they're controlled somehow?"

'Smart girl.' John thought in praise, mildly impressed by her deduction ability. "Yeah it does. Instead of a person controlling the plane directly from inside it. They control it at a command center of sorts."

"This was made by humans." The statement held an undertone of awe.

"Yeah it is Pina, everything you see is engineered and built by humans. How do you feel about that?"

A thoughtful look crossed her face. "I feel….impressed...happy in a way but most of all I feel...inspired."

"Inspired?" John questioned with raised brows. That was an unexpected answer. Joining in Rory let herself cock her head in a similar questioning manner.

Pina nodded. "Yes because I see what the humans of this world are capable of and I imagine that some day, "this is could be the empire.""

"It's gonna be a while before the Empire can even come close to this Pina." He said absentmindedly. The empire and the people in the Special Region had to learn what it meant to have the kind of power they had in their hands.

Guns, tanks, planes and nuclear bombs carried a certain amount of responsibility attached to them. Some more than others as the lethality of each weapon increased. Humans of their world survived through learning the destructive power of modern weapons. Even then there were times where the future seemed to be the worst outcome possible.

"I know…..I know that it'll be centuries before we can come close to this." She took a deep breath. "We learned of the amenities in Alnus but we haven't understood the amenities. We know our feces and bodily fluid wash away with simple lever but we don't know how it works. We know flipping a switch turns on the lights but we don't know how those work either."

"However I am inspired not because of some future of the Empire that may or may not have. It's because seeing all this, makes think that despite being a women, I can make a difference. That I can lead my country and yours to a peaceful resolution."

John fell silent as he looked at Pina in surprise. That wasn't the answer he was expecting out of the princess. It didn't seem like something she'd say when he first met her at Italica just over a week ago.

This whole trip was definitely worth it for both parties involved.

In the end he settled for a compliment. "You'd make a good leader someday Pina." He had meant it too, it wasn't his usual spiel of sarcasm that everyone had grown used to.

"You think so?" She asked, running her hands along the cool frame of the fighter jet.

"Most likely." He answered honestly. "Keep going the way you're going and you'll be leading the Empire in no time."

She let out a hopeful smile. "Perhaps." Taking her hands off the aging grey jey she began making way towards the inside of the museum.

Following the silent invitation John shoved his hands in his pockets before trailing after her.

Pouting at being forgotten and left behind Rory quickly bounded the distance between them. Taking a place besides the Korean squad leader she began making small talk.

This was getting much more interesting.

* * *

"What's this?" Pina whispered in awe, something she seemed to be doing a lot today.

This time her target of attention wasn't some high tech military equipment but a relic of the old past. A relic known by every Korean, a relic that was almost as famous as Admiral Yi Sun Shin.

The Turtle Ship.

In front of her a carefully reconstructed Turtle Ship stood proudly. The entire area around them was clear of anything else and the sun beaming down on the ship through the sunroofs gave it an almost holy aura.

Her eyes traveled along the bottom of the ship, surveying the dozens of paddles that propelled the ship. Then they found the two most distinctive features of the Turtle Ship. The iron roof covered in spikes and the dragon head mounted on the front.

This was John's first time seeing the Turtle Ship. He'd heard that several years back a discovery team had finally found the wreckage of the Turtle Ship. Restoration proved easy as funds poured in from Koreans all over the peninsula, desperate in wanting to see their long lost heritage and history brought back to life.

A shiver ran down his spin. This was the ship that charged into battle spewing toxins from its dragon's mouth while firing full broadsides of its cannons. It was the ship that directly countered Japan's tactics of close quarter battle where they boarded the ships of their enemies. The iron spikes would tear apart a half cocked boarding party, a lesson the Japanese learned the hard way.

"This," He whispered. "Is the Turtle Ship. The pride of Korea as they like to say."

The wooden and iron clad ship wasn't a technological marvel, back during the olden days perhaps. Few ships had that much metal on it during the 17th century, if any.

"It was built around the late 1500s, the years change from book to book but that's what many think." He rattled off, his previous nights of studying proving their worth. "It was the brainchild of Admiral Yi Sun Shin and it was the ship that enabled him to fight the Japanese on somewhat even terms during the Sevens Years War."

Then again the great admiral preferred tactics over brute force. Back then the Japanese held the advantage in manpower so trying to compete was an asinine thought so he didn't. Instead he outsmarted the Japanese to wondrous effect.

Rory gazed at the ships most distinguishable feature the dragon head. "I assume the dragon head is for intimidation?" Certainly didn't want to fight like that on the battlefield, that's for sure.

He nodded. "Part of the reason. In the earliest versions the dragon head would spew smoke to cover it's movement or poison gas to kill the enemy. Later on they fitted the dragon head with an extra cannon to shoot out of its mouth."

"...Oh and fire, at one point it spewed fire out the head too." He added as an afterthought.

All the while Pina stayed silent, taking in the information both visual and audio. This was incredible! This wasn't some contraption she couldn't understand, this was something the Empire could build. Something within reach of their arms.

She slowly turned her focus on to John who was standing there, staring at the ship. "Can you tell more?" She wanted to learn more! To understand more!

She wanted take something precious away from this trip.

It wasn't a piece of technology.

It wasn't friendship.

It wasn't political immunity.

It was in its purest form, knowledge.

* * *

Breathing out a content sigh Pina held a large book close to her chest as she fell back on her bed. It was gift among many that John had bought for her.

It was a gift of knowledge. Reading it of course was something else entirely, something John had pointed out early. He had suggested one of them read it for her, a suggestion she shot down without thought.

" _I'll learn Korean and I'll_ _ **earn**_ _this knowledge for myself. I don't want you or any other holding my hands."_ That was what she had told him, defiant and resolute.

She had expected laughter or at the least disbelief. Few could learn a language quickly, most took months or years of studying. However John stood still before he had broken out into a large smile. That hadn't been the asshat that ran around with Jong Han, that had been John Lee, ROK Marine and 1st squad leader of 3rd platoon of Checkmate Company.

She knew it would've been easier if she accepted John's suggestion but...it didn't feel right. Almost patronizing in a way. She didn't want instant gratification, that was something she got everyday as a noble. No she wanted a lifelong gratification and to achieve it, she had to earn it.

So she would and one day she'd read these books to the person who had bought them for her.


	9. Return to the Special Region

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Gate, all rights goes to the guys who created/wrote the damn thing. Talking about that I probably should do some research on the original author and the director of the anime.

Anyway, onto the story.

* * *

'It's a good day to train.' John thought as he pulled up to the checkpoint that led into the military base.

It wasn't a widely known base, not like Osan Air Base or any of the other bases that dotted the Korean peninsula. It was a relatively small one because there wasn't a need for a large base.

Only a small handful were selected to even come here, with 90% of the candidates being denied during the 10 day screening period. There was a reason why the 707th Special Warfare Battalion is considered to be Korea's premier counterterrorism unit and the only reason why he and Jong Han were able to come and go as they pleased was because of their mentor. Though he had to persuade him to allow the girls to see the training grounds, most of it being obstacle courses and various ranges for shooting and areas for hand to hand combat.

Most of the base didn't hold any information beyond information that could be found on the Internet but even so with the other two in tow he had a limited amount of places they could go.

The guards gave the occupants a cautious glare, almost daring them to do something stupid. Which in all honesty Shino might with the way she was bouncing up and down in her seat. With a slightly nervous smile John gave the guard a thumbs up before pushing through the checkpoint.

Behind him Shino pressed up against the window as she took in the passing scenery. She was giddy with excitement. Didn't matter if they were only staying for 2 hours, that was 2 hours spending time with people who were hard enough to push through the grueling year long training to become a 707.

It was a great opportunity for her, one she'd make sure to remember. Besides her however Kim Han Yoon looked around with no small amount of apprehension.

All throughout yesterday and today she'd been trying to think why John had a sudden change of heart. That wasn't like him and it made her apprehensive about the entire trip.

She didn't want to be here but didn't say anything. The reason was simple, this was a test. John wanted to test her ability, to see her potential.

'Well, I'll show you what I'm capable of John.' She thought bitterly as she glanced at him. His refusal to support her decision was a harsh blow, more than her family shunning her for her decision to join the Marine Corps because he'd been there for her ever since recruit training.

He was her squad leader back then too, she fondly remembered. Always supporting her choice of a military life, it made her happy to have at least him. Then after graduation she found Checkmate, a company that wholly supported her.

She was happy but now that happiness turned into something else, a grim determination to join the 707th. 'I have to, I can't fail now.' She was broken out of her thoughts by John, who had turned around his seat.

"Everyone out and remember stick close to me and Jong Han. Don't wander." The last bit was directed at Shino who had given him a nod, a distracted one at that.

Sighing John straightened his eyepatch before getting out of his sedan.

It wasn't the self driving cars that were flooding the market the last several years. He found some joy in actually driving where he was going, a trait that was rapidly diminishing with the rise in autonomous vehicles.

Then again, the self driving cars was still welcomed by him because some of these people didn't need to be on the road. Period. How some of these people passed their driver's exam was a natural wonder on its own.

Locking the car, he made his way to the office of the "old man" as they liked to call him. Also known as their sadistic ass mentor.

The trip was silent as the group of four walked through the hallways. Coming up to the office John stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Came the short reply.

Glancing at each other the two best friends heaved a silent sigh before opening the door and stepping inside. The two females followed close after the two male marines.

Surprisingly to the girls neither John nor Jong Han saluted the man. In fact they seemed relaxed, kind of. There was underlying tension between the trio that the two females could only just make out.

"So," The older man started off. "What kind of asinine bullshit are you pulling this time?" His tone was a low drawl, as if he was done and over with the duo's "bullshit."

John shrugged. "Nothing much just wanted you to put these two through their paces today." He jerked a thumb behind him and the girls. A frown crossed his face afterwards. "Speaking of which, no warm welcome for your two favorite students?"

Sarcasm at its finest.

The man closed one of his eyes in a mocking manner. "Would've given you two fucks a hot shower and meal if the smoker didn't end up with a arrow to the eye."

"Smoker?" Shino mumbled, first time she heard anything about smoking.

A confused frown crossed Kim Han Yoons face. As far as she knew neither John nor Jong Han smoked, were they keeping it a secret? That didn't make sense though, it wasn't as if it was illegal.

"Vape." John defended simply.

The man gave an annoyed grunt. "Same shit."

"No," Jong Han defended, cutting in. "We don't use nicotine in our vapes. Total difference."

For a while trio fell silent before the older man pointed at the girls. "In any case, who are the ducklings?"

The two females looked at each other. Duckling?

"Oh right." John mumbled, remembering their purpose for their little trip. "This is Shino and the other is Kim Han Yoon. Guys, say hello to the old man, Su Won."

"Good morning sir!" Shino exclaimed, complete with a salute.

John held a grimace, figured the fangirl side of her was still there. 'Knowing the old man though, I doubt that it's gonna last long.' He was positive Shino would hate the old sadistic bastard before they walked out of here.

Well he and Jong Han were gonna walk out, the girls would probably be stumbling and wobbling out like a bunch of drunkards. Noodle limbs at its finest.

"Aren't you a little ball of sunshine and energy?" Su Won sarcastically replied before standing up.

"Just excited to be here sir." Shino said happily, not catching the instructors sarcasm.

This time neither John nor Jong Han bothered to hold back a grimace. That was most definitely the exact thing you absolutely do not say to an instructor.

Nodding Su Won turned to face Kim Han Yoon. "I take it you're Kim Han Yoon?"

She gave him a subtle nod. "Yes sir."

Walking around the desk Su Won came to a stop in front of the females. Giving them a look over he faced the other two males in the room. Are you sure, was the unspoken question.

Two silent shrugs was the answer given.

"Alright so you two want some training done?" Two quick nods was the final answer he was looking for. "Good, now follow me and don't wander off. Better for your health that way."

With that he opened the door before making his way out the office. Unbeknownst to the girls a wicked smile flashed on his face before disappearing.

Time to break some bitches.

* * *

2 hours later:

The two females collapsed in heap of limbs as they crossed the finish line of the obstacle course. Looking up they found the two amused faces of the "Dipshit Duo" as their mentor had lovingly named.

"So….that 3km obstacle course, hope you know you failed." John snickered, enjoying their exhausted expressions.

"Quite miserably I might add but don't be embarrassed. You need some serious physical conditioning for the course anyway, it's a testament to your training that you even finished." Jong Han added in a low drawl. He wasn't lying, in order to pass you needed to finish the 3km obstacle course in under 12 minutes.

Most people couldn't run 3km in 12 minutes on flat ground. Doing so through an obstacle course meant you had to be in peak physical condition and then some.

Like many have said before, humans don't join the special forces. Only monsters did and that superhuman facade was compounded by the augmentations that special forces operatives went through.

Finally finding the strength to sit up the two females greedily gulped down the water bottle that had been tossed down next to them.

"What was our time?" Shino gasped out, still trying control her pounding heart.

"19:22 for both of you." Su Won said disappointingly. Then again he wasn't expecting too much either. In the end they had been able to..keep up during their little 2 hour session. Though he found even that to be a bit of a stretch.

"Damn." Shino cursed under breath. Next to her Kim Han Yoon stayed silent, focusing on calming down.

She had barely been able to keep up with Shino. In fact she'd come a couple seconds after her, not that it really mattered considering they were way over the time limit.

Rubbing away some of the sweat that threatened to get into her eye Kim Han Yoon found John's hand in front of her. Silently grabbing the hand she pulled herself up not before stumbling a bit as her leg wobbled.

Her limbs felt like noodles. She just wanted go home and fall asleep under a warm blanket. The cold was starting to seep in too, with the sweat causing goosebumps on her skin as the cold winter wind rolled in.

All in all she felt miserable, not that she'd complain. She learned early on that complaining rarely achieved any good, more often than not it proved your weakness to the world.

Suck it up and push forward.

John gently gripped her shoulders, not minding the sweat that had seeped through her hoodie. "Come on, you can rest inside where it's warmer." He said, gently ushering her along.

People often forgot that cooling off too quickly could often result in getting a cold. The best way to cool off was to do so under room temperature and with some cool water.

He sighed as they felt the warm air of the building. All along the way he held his hand there on the small of her back, silently supporting her in case her legs gave out.

Their walk was slow. The walk itself was meant to act as rest simply because other than the barracks there wasn't any other place to rest.

Seeing the tired expression on Kim Han Yoon's face John craned his head around to Jong Han. "Hey think you can find a ride for yourself and Shino? I want to take her somewhere else for a bit."

"Yeah I can," He replied quickly before frowning in confusion. "The hell are you taking her?"

John shrugged in response, he wanted to keep that a surprise. "Nowhere much."

As they reached the door John turned around to face Shino and Jong Han. "Alright, I'll see you two later." With a wave to his mentor he opened the door before walking towards his car.

Sliding into the drivers seat John took a glance at Kim Han Yoon as she slumped down in her seat. With a small groan she leaned against the cool window before closing her eyes.

Honestly she just wanted to go back to the hotel, going off to some little side trip wasn't on the to-do list but at the same time she didn't have energy nor the desire to argue with John.

She kept her eyes closed as she felt the car lurch forward. With a yawn she slowly drifted off to unconsciousness.

When she opened her eyes she found a large lake in front of them. Looking around she found that they were the only ones there, with the area around them being empty of life.

"Where are we?" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"At a camping spot, usually more full around this time of year but whatever. Lets get out and stretch a bit." Following Johns suggestion Kim Han Yoon opened the door and stepped out of the car.

Sighing as the cold wind hit her she began to stretch her tired muscles.

'I'm going to feel this tomorrow.' She thought sourly. From head to toe she could feel her muscles ache in protest, even walking was a pain.

"Hey John, what are we doing out here? You trying to have sex with me or what?" She spoke lightheartedly. Though she didn't put it past him to try.

"Nah, we're here for something else."

She raised an eyebrow. "Well care to tell me the reason?" Instead of an answer she saw him simply lean against the hood of his car, silently staring ahead at the lake.

Apprehension slowly filled her, outside of combat this was the most serious she'd seen him.

"Strip." He finally said.

She blinked at the order given. "What?"

"Strip." He repeated in a neutral tone. "Down to your underwear."

And expression of confusion etched on to her face. What the hell was he saying? Strip? In this cold for no apparent reason? She wanted to lash out at him for the command yet she held her tongue.

Always think before you speak.

"John….tell me what's going on here. You're only confusing me further without an explanation." She worded her words carefully, this was a side of John she wasn't at all used to.

For the first time since they had met, she felt uncomfortable around him.

A frustrated frown came onto Johns face. "I won't repeat myself, strip."

She opened her mouth to retort but held herself back. The subtle tensing of his muscles, an angry if conflicted expression and the low but authoritative voice he had used all directed that following his order would be the best course of action.

She knew she wasn't in any physical danger, he wasn't the type to strike her down. Still she felt uncomfortable, like she had no choice but to follow his order despite having free will to say otherwise.

With an awkward glance in his direction she began strippong off her clothes, tossing them aside. As she stood in her underwear she rubbed her arms together in vain effort to keep herself warm.

Stilling leaning on the hood of his car John directed her at the lake. "Get in the lake and don't fucking ask any questions." He added as he saw the incredulous and questioning look she gave him.

Biting her lips she walked to the edge of the water before testing it with her toes.

Freezing, was the first thing that came to mind. If she went into this water, there was a very good chance of getting hypothermia afterwards. A simple t-shirt and hoodie wasn't enough.

Swallowing her spit she slowly walked into the water.

"Chest deep and stop." Hearing the next command she grit her teeth and pushed deeper into the lake.

She hated this. Why was he making her do this? Was there some point he wanted to make? Or was this for his own amusement? Those thoughts stopped abruptly when she heard a splash behind her.

John had jumped in too.

She stopped as told when she reached chest deep water. Her body shook as it tried to create heat to combat the winter cold water. Soon her teeth began clattering together. However all that stopped when she felt Johns hand at the back of her head.

"John ple-" Before she could finish she was violently pushed underwater. Immediately her body thrashed about, a desperate attempt to push him away and regain some control.

Grunting a bit he held her head down and began counting. He hit just under a minute before he began to feel her body slowing down. She was beginning to lose consciousness and feeling that she was at the precipice he pulled her head up out of the water.

Gasping for air she gurgled and coughed, desperate to fill her lungs with air. Suddenly she let out a cry of pain as she was pulled along by her hair. Reaching the shore she was tossed down onto the dirt ground.

Bracing her arms against the ground she rested her head on her arms. For the moment she didn't care about his actions, she didn't care about training or the 707. She didn't care about the Marine Corps or anything else.

All she wanted was air.

For several moments she merely laid her head there on her arms, greedily sucking air in and trying to calm herself down.

She looked up at John in anger. "What fu-!" Once again she was shut up when he suddenly reached down and held her mouth closed.

Her eyes lit up in fury.

She threw her arms in a punch but there was no power behind it. She was simply too worn out from earlier.

"What did you want most during the last few minutes?" He asked unbothered by the punch before removing his hands, allowing her to speak.

"I wanted air." She snapped at him. "Because decided tossing my ass into the freezing cold water was a good idea. Oh and it's fucking winter too, did you think about that? You fucking meat head."

"How bad?" He simply asked, not bothered by her hate filled rant.

She flared in further anger. How bad he asked? "Pretty fucking bad Lee. We humans need air to survive and you nearly made me drown."

Despite the attitude John stayed calm, he had expected it.

"How bad you wanted to breath was how bad you should feel about joining the 707th. So desperate that you can't stop thinking about it, so desperate that you'd willingly break your body trying to achieve it. That's how much you need to want the Black Beret….and even then it's not enough."

"...what's your point?" She asked numbly, somewhat calmer now.

"My point," John leaned down so they were nose to nose. "Is that, that fire wasn't there today. Shino had it but you didn't." He gripped her by the shoulder.

"Why the **fuck** do you want to be a 707?"

She bit her lips and looked away. Or tried to before a hand jerked her face back around so she met his oppressive gaze.

"...I don't want to talk about it." She finally said in a low voice.

A look of annoyance and frustration flashed onto John's face. She braced for the incoming backlash, most likely in the form of a verbal assault.

To her surprise he sighed before letting go of her face. Standing up he rubbed the bridge of his nose before making his way to his car. As she watched him walk away she finally let herself curl up in vain effort to combat the cold.

The dirt that was smeared onto her limbs and body didn't bother her. She just wanted to get warm. To get away from the gnawing stress that had been eating away at her for the last couple days.

At the height of it all, between it and the physical abuse she had endured all she wanted to do was cry. But she held back her tears that threatened to fall.

She stiffened in surprise as she felt a towel being wrapped around her. Keeping quiet she felt John's arm slide under her covered body before getting picked up bridal style by the Korean squad leader.

It was only after being laid down on the back seat of his sedan did she notice the car was turned on. She also noticed that John was right besides her.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him reach for her. She tensed as she waited for the blow but to her surprise he merely began to dry her off, not caring for the dirt getting on the floor and seats of his car.

He was surprisingly gentle during the affair and it was only after he finished drying her off did he show her a bag of extra clothes. Silently nodding at her he slid out of the car and closed the door behind him. Seeing him turning his back to her, she began taking her drenched underwear off and begin the quick process of putting on the clothes given to her by her squad leader.

The t-shirt was slightly too big and the sweat pants were a bit long but she didn't mind too much. Reaching inside the bag she found a grey hoodie. Putting it on she tapped the window, signifying her being dressed.

For the second time he sat next to her. The awkward silence was maddening.

She struggled to form words out of her mouth. Fortunately for her, she didn't have to say anything.

"It isn't worth it you know." He mumbled with his elbows on his knees. Seeing his marksman glance his way he continued. "Whatever reason you have for joining the 707th, it isn't worth dying in some foreign land forgotten by your government."

More silence.

Sighing he continued. "Being hard on you was the only way I can think of in trying to steer you away from that lifestyle. You have a bright career as an officer right in front of you. You'll have money, respect and the adoration of a lot of people." A small twitch, he wasn't used to talking his feelings like this.

More often than not he chose to keep to himself about his personal issues. He wasn't some high up general or even an officer but he was a squad leader. And squad leaders were the backbone of any military organization because at the end of the day, it all started with them.

Squad leaders knew their squad the best, they knew their soldiers the best. In return those soldiers followed their squad leader. A squad leader couldn't waver, they had to accept their orders and push forward. Personal issues had no place in the chain of command.

That was what he believed and followed and this was a small step beyond what he was comfortable of.

"...it's worth it." She whispered, hugging her leg close to her chest.

"What?" He asked, not hearing the whisper clearly.

"It's worth it." She repeated in a firm voice. All the pain and suffering would be worth it in the end, she firmly believed that.

"It's worth being thrown away by the government? Being in the shadows, following every order without hesitation and getting killed in some land away from family and friends? Is it really worth it?" He asked, pushing her for a definite answer.

She nodded, not looking at the man next to her. "It's worth it….but what about you Lee? Do you deserve being thrown away? Deserve a lonely death?"

John frowned at the question. "Better me than you."

"You said the same thing at Hakone." She said in a sad tone. She didn't him living that kind of life either.

John let out a grunt. "Yeah and the same could be said about you."

Hearing those words she merely braced her forehead against her knee. She wanted to tell him but at the same time it didn't seem like a good idea.

However much like she took the plunge into the ice cold water, she sucked in a breath before plunging into uncharted waters once more. "I think you're worth it Lee."

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw him stiffen in surprise. "Wha-"

"You're worth it Lee." She said with conviction, finally staring at him in the eyes. "You've been my squad leader since recruit training...and after that you've been my squad leader for the past 4 years."

"That doesn't mean shit." John retorted in a gruff tone.

"It means everything to me, Lee." She responded back, not caring for his attempt at dismissal. "You've been supporting me ever since the day we met. Often times I feel as if your hand is on my back, always there, always guiding me along."

Which was why…

"Which was why I was confused and angry when you took away that hand. I wanted your approval Lee, I wanted you to be proud of what I'm trying to do." Even if many would scoff and laugh at her true rationale, she didn't care. All she needed was him and nothing else mattered.

For a while John kept silent, having no response to the confession of his squad mate. Out of all the reasons he could think of, him being the reason she wanted to join the 707 didn't even register in his mind.

He wasn't some inspirational leader. He wasn't particularly smart nor was he anything exceptional besides the training he received under Su Won. With his personality, physique and the way he acted most often had people thinking he was a meat-head.

And they weren't too wrong, if he was honest actually.

"Is that all?" He asked numbly, though he already knew the answer.

She frowned as she heard the question. Was that all? Was the status quo enough for her? No regrets?

She sighed, no she hadn't been satisfied with the status quo for a while but changing it was a step she had been unwilling to take. Always hiding it beneath the facade of Kim Han Yoon, the Marksman of 1st squad 3rd platoon.

Today that status quo would be broken.

Hesitantly she leaned forward. Her heart beated rapidly as she prepared herself for what she was about to do. With hardly a gap between her and her squad leader she gently pressed her lips against his cheek. After a moment she pulled away from the unmoving soldier.

After he saw her retreat from his peripherals he let out a sigh. This was….beyond what he expected.

Oh he had an idea of Kim Han Yoons feelings the moment she confessed. He just didn't think she would answer his final question. What he expected was silence and he was ready to take that silence as her answer.

The actual answer he received shocked all words or thoughts into nothingness. Even so he had to give her a response back, for himself and for her.

"I won't lie to you nor will I string you along with false emotions and hope." He started off bluntly. "I...don't share the same feelings as you do. However….that doesn't mean you don't mean anything to me."

His hand twitched in discomfort. "I….you mean a lot to me. You're a friend, a sister and someone I can rely on but...a lover? You ha-" He cut himself off. His expression softened as he reached over and a ran his thumb across her cheeks, wiping away the tears that had began to fall.

She leaned into his hands, rough and worn from training. His calluses and faint scars showing his own physical hardships but despite their roughness she didn't mind. Unconsciously her hands reached up and put themselves over Johns.

Suddenly she was pulled into an embrace, a surprising gesture from her squad leader even in this situation. Feeling his warmth envelope her she pressed herself against him, nestling her head into the crook of his neck. Her silent tears never stopping.

As he held her he thought back to his previous words. Doing so made him question himself for the first time in years.

In all honesty if there was one person he would choose to be coupled with, it would be Kim Han Yoon. Shino was a little fling, a one time deal.

He would not and could not treat Kim Han Yoon the same way. So...what if he changed his mind? Went back on his words and...well tried "it" out?

He could do that but it wouldn't look good to her. She might accept and then she may feel doubtful about their relationship, doubtful about his feelings. It wouldn't even start before everything went downhill. There would be no solid foundation for that relationship and afterwards there would be nothing but a shamble of emotions between them.

He couldn't go back now. His words were set in stone. So he did what he hadn't done in a very long time.

He apologized. For this, for nearly drowning her and for the physical pain of today.

"I'm sorry." He choked out, holding her tightly, not caring for the growing wet spots on his shirt. For a long while he simply sat there, holding her.

It was only after when the quiet sobs died down did he dare make a move out of the embrace.

"Come on, we have to go now. It's starting to get late." He softly whispered to her. Indeed, it would take them a while to get back to the hotel. If they left now they would most likely arrive around nightfall.

Finally releasing his hold on her he made his way out of the car. Walking around to the drivers side he opened the door and slumped into the seat. Looking back he found Kim Han Yoon still in the same spot, gazing at the floor of the vehicle.

Breathing out through his nose he reached back and tapped her shoulder, getting her attention. "If you want to, take a nap. There's a blanket and a small pillow in the trunk. Just pull down the seat and reach in there."

Nodding she did as she was instructed before putting the seat back up and lying down on across the seats. Closing her eyes she found herself rapidly falling asleep. The emotional and physical stress had exhausted her energy to an all time low.

Seeing her falling asleep John turned around and started up the car.

Time go "home."

* * *

Inside the dark hotel room John laid on his bed, awake and unable to fall asleep. No, it was better to say he wasn't allowing himself to sleep despite whatever his body felt.

He just wanted to figure everything out before going back into the Special Region but doing so would be incredibly difficult if not impossible. They were leaving tomorrow morning after all.

He glanced over at the digital clock besides his bed. No make that this morning, it was 2 in the morning already.

'Time sure passes when you've got a heavy mind.' He thought to himself in a vain attempt to amuse himself.

Today's or rather yesterday's events had been...trying to say the least. His original purpose was twofold, either break Kim Han Yoon's desire to join the 707th or to light the fire under her. He achieved none of that and the only thing he received was a mess of emotions and drama that most definitely didn't need.

Even so, he hated calling it drama. It felt...wrong to call things between him and her a "drama." That was the first time he had seen her break down like that and initially he had no idea what to do. His body had moved without thought when he embraced the marksman tightly. Hell it surprised him more than anything else.

Sighing for what seemed like the umpteenth time that night John leaned against the headboard of the bed and drank a sip of water that was placed on the nightstand.

The cool fluid felt refreshing in his mouth. Tilting his head back he let the water trickle down his throat. He swallowed the last bit left in his throat before drinking the rest of the water in one large gulp.

"This sucks donkey dick." John grumbled out in a low whisper, not wanting to wake his roommate.

Why oh why did things escalate so damn quickly?

Truthfully he knew the answer to his own question. In the end it all came back to him. It was he who had forced the issue after all. He should've known that the little last step he took was a step too much. No, he did know but he simply chose it ignore it.

'And now look at this fucking mess. What the actual fuck.' He cursed to himself.

He hated this, all of it. And it got even worse when he started second guessing himself. Thoughts of "what if" had plagued his mind ever since the long drive back to the hotel and had stayed on his mind through the darkness of night.

What can I do in this situation? Was the question that was being constantly repeated in his mind and so far, there wasn't a concrete answer he could think of.

He bit his lips, should he wait until morning? At least then he could get some sleep. He shook his head in a violent manner, getting rid of the thought. No, procrastinating wasn't the answer. He had to find a way, something.

There had to be a solution. 'I just have to clear my mind for a bit, getting some fresh air will help.' Indeed, he needed to take a step back and analyze this in a different way.

The bed groaned as he swung his legs off the edge. Quietly sliding out of bed he made his over to the balcony door. Opening the door silently he walked out into the bustling nightlife of Seoul.

As he leaned on the balcony railings he let out an involuntary shiver at the cold winter air that had been consuming the city. For a moment he let his mind wonder as he gazed upon the towering skyscrapers.

Even to him who never had the best of thoughts about large cities, he could still admit to the unique somewhat ethereal beauty of the city around him. So for a while he merely stood there, uncaring for the cold wind that slammed into him. It only enabled him to think more clearly and organize his thoughts better.

Personally speaking he didn't realize the time winding past. Too far lost in his inner thoughts did he not realize his aching feet until the small rays of sunlight had began to fall upon the city. Despite it however a small smile grew on his face. It was simple really, the solution that was. He was just so wound up in the complexities that he missed the solution. It wasn't the best nor was it the prettiest but it would serve him well.

Because he still cherished the friendship and camaraderie that developed between him and Kim Han Yoon.

The solution was simple, just tell her what he thought and they would work it out from there.

Simple, yes but it was the truest course of action because Marine or not he was still human. He could only do so much, that much he realized from his night of contemplation.

He was squad leader yes but that didn't mean he had shoulder all of the burden. He had his fellow Marines to fall back for support and in this situation, he needed his marksman.

With a significantly lighter heart he pushed off the railing and made his way back inside, out of the cold and to rest his aching feet. Before he did however he raided the bag of drinks he had bought on the way home.

Pulling out an energy drink he cracked open the can with a satisfying pop. Even today Monster was going strong, didn't mean it was good for you however. Which was why he limited his intake of the drink though during times such as this he was sure he could give himself some leeway.

He sat down on the chair next to his bed with a relieved groan. Standing up for the majority of the night had done a number on his feet. It wasn't too bad but it was definitely something that he had a hard time ignoring.

Bringing the can of Monster up to his mouth he drank a large mouthful before glancing down at his phone. It was 0652 and he knew that Jong Han would be well awake by now, most likely down at the indoor gym or eating some breakfast.

Chances were though Jong Han was out of the building by now, he had expressed about wanting some McDonald's breakfast before heading back to Japan and then subsequently the Special Region. Truthfully he could understand his friends desire for Mcdonald's breakfast, they had some good stuff on there. Well at least in the morning they did.

He put the can on the nightstand before taking off his eyepatch. Opening his eye, his dark brown eye moved rapidly as it took in the environment.

No visual anomalies so far which was a good sign but it wasn't all that surprising. The eye had been fine within the last couple days or so, no irregularities within his vision. What worried him were the migraines that struck whenever he opened his new eye.

After about ten minutes and with no signs of a migraine John pumped his arm into the air.

'Hell to fucking yes! I'm back in business!' As the excitement died down however a frown soon marred his face. It would be wise if he put on the eyepatch for another day or two.

The reason being was simple, handheld technology.

Most people didn't realize just how much of their daily lives was spent staring at their phones. Yes, mobile devices such as smartphones and watches had become an essential part of their life but it didn't mean it was healthy for you. The consequences of staring at a small screen for hours on end ruined your eyesight. However the consequences have become much less with the rise in affordability of corrective surgery.

His new eye was still fresh, not used to smartphones and the like. So he would have ease his way back into the grind of things by limiting his usage or at the least using the eyepatch. A fitting compromise he supposed.

For a while John sat there in silence, letting his mind wander. It was...peaceful to say the least. By the end of the day he'd be back in the Special Region, taking orders and doing shit that these political fucks decided was necessary. Chain of command was the law of the military, even if there were some leeway given by the NCOs. Good bit of those guys had been enlisted before so they knew what was what.

Personally speaking he hated the fuck faces that came out of college and went straight in as an NCO. Guys his age were bossing around guys who had been enlisted for 10 years. It wasn't right, not seniority wise at least but that was the nature of the military. Ranks, chain of command and carrying out your orders were what mattered, age was secondary at best.

Sighing for what seemed like the umpteenth time he stood up and began preparing for the day. Namely getting his uniform ready though that could come after cleaning himself up. He needed to presentable after all.

Strangely enough he didn't feel tired despite being up all night. Perhaps it was due to him standing outside or maybe it was because of everything that had been on his mind. Either way he didn't feel the lethargy that usually came with staying awake through the night.

Reaching into the small closet he pulled out his uniform before placing it on his bed. Looking over the uniform with a critical eye he found various wrinkles forming throughout the uniform. It wasn't bad but even so it would be for the best if he went ahead and ironed it. Besides that however he found everything else in good condition but before he did anything, a nice hot shower was in order.

* * *

Pulling her cover off her head Kim Han Yoon sat down on the leather seat of the private jet. It was the same one that had brought them to Korea, she noticed.

She peered out of the window port to see a wave of reporters and the Korean president along with his security forces standing outside. The farewells had been brief and few questions were asked, all the paparazzi wanted was some photos anyway.

Turning away she found the others doing the same as they slumped into their comfortable seats. The girls still seemed to be in awe of the wonders they had witnessed, mainly the jet itself. They still haven't gotten used to traveling at such high speeds at such high altitude. It wasn't as if they were scared, no it was better to say they were fascinated more than anything.

Lelei in particular had been adamant in asking how they had been able to fly. Explaining it had been tricky to say the least but even so Lelei had been able to catch on the rudimentary basics. She was smart, perhaps too smart if the higher ups had to say anything about it.

Despite everything that happened thus far it was her, Chuka and Rory that was marked as the most dangerous individuals. For good reason too with Lelei and Chuka with their potent magic and Rory with her Apostle status and abilities.

Rory in particular due to her healing abilities along with her superhuman strength. It was under debate whether or not special forces would be enough to match her in a physical fight. Some said yes, most said no.

There wasn't any denying that physical augmentations had come a long way, a far cry from the high mortality rates a decade ago. However even with the augmentations, performance enhancing injections and powerful exoskeleton suits it was highly unlikely that any one or group of individuals would be able to stand toe to toe against Rory. There were outliers of course, those being considered to be absolute monsters in combat.

Then again regardless of opinion it all boiled down to a simple tactic should the apostle turn hostile. Hose the bitch with lead or blow her to kingdom come. A rather crude choice of tactics but it would work. Getting hit by a bullet was a nasty ordeal after all, not like the movies where the exit wound was the same as the entrance.

A bullet's exit wound was a magnitude larger than the entrance wound, caused by the tumbling of the bullet as it passes through the body. Simply put it wasn't all that inconceivable to think you wouldn't be able to saw a man in half with gun.

The same idea applied to Rory, cut her down and make sure to separate the body parts to prevent any form of healing then incinerate the body parts. Of course it was all easy to say it, carrying it out on the other hand was a different story.

Shaking her head she got rid of the errant thought. She didn't want things to escalate to such a degree. She had grown to the joy the girls company though there were times where she felt Rory was worth more trouble than she was worth.

Looking over she saw John relax into his seat. Her jaw clenched at the sight, yesterday was still fresh on her mind. This morning he'd approached her and for the most part it went well.

He expressed no desire to get into a relationship, at least not now, that was what he said. For now, everything between him and her depended on the future and what it would bring.

She had nodded and told him that she understood. She wasn't going to press the issue anymore, not until John decided to do so personally.

The highlight of the morning, at least for her was when John told her that he'd help her train. It was a surprising turn of events, one she was quite happy about

"I will run you into the ground, make you hate me and make you question your resolve every single day. So prepare yourself Kim Han Yoon." Was what he told her. His eye had a hard look back then, not the usual carefree if deviant look he carried himself with.

That look was intimidating, it felt like she was staring down a wild tiger, oppressive in nature. It was a side of John that she'd seen more of lately, in fact during the Battle of Italica was the first time she'd seen that look. The fierce expression that promised pain like no other. It was that expression that made her realize that she had underestimated him and Jong Han.

They had been trained since early childhood by one of Korea's best. They were prospects of the 707th and she didn't doubt that they would receive the coveted Black Beret.

'I'll catch up to you one day Lee.' She thought with grim determination.

* * *

For the first time in nearly two weeks John was greeted with the lush and peaceful scenery of the Special Region. In a way he had missed this. The peaceful world was a polar opposite to the one they had just left. One where a city was alive for 24 hours and 365 days

Stepping off the bus he took a deep breath of the fresh air. Letting out a satisfied sigh he began to walk ahead of the group, knowing that they'd catch up sooner or later.

Catching up to besides him Itami fell in stride with John. "Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked in a relaxed manner.

"I'm feeling fine, eye could be better though." John replied honestly.

"Is it bad?"

John grunted. "No, not bad. It's almost healed actually. My only issue is that I still have to wear the eyepatch out of caution."

Itami sighed. "Well it could be worse…."

"True." John admitted. "Now I don't know about you but I've gotta go report in with my company commander. Tell him that my ass has returned safely and all that bullshit."

Itami nodded, probably wise to tell Yanagida that he and everyone else arrived safely. Lightly patting John's back, Itami turned around and walked away, leaving the Korean squad leader by his lonesome once more.

Sighing John lightly pulled on the collar of his uniform in discomfort. He wanted to get out of his dress blues and into his BDU as fast as possible. Those were leagues ahead of his stifling dress blues in terms of comfort.

After a few minutes of walking he arrived at the spot which his company commander was usually found at during this time. Which was the office doing paperwork like the good captain he was.

One of the reasons why he enjoyed his position as squad leader and as a Sergeant First Class as much as he did. There was little paperwork involved his position. Oh there were some of course, a tad bit more than his previous rank of Staff Sergeant but nowhere near the amount of the higher ranks such as the NCOs. They practically lived, breathed and ate paperwork. Hell there were times where the amount of paperwork for his position was a pain in the ass, he couldn't imagine the hell the captain went through on a daily basis.

Standing in front of his company commander's office he knocked on the wooden door a few times. Hearing the order to come in, he did so in a brisk manner.

Standing at attention he snapped into a salute before calling out his rank and name in loud clear voice.

"Sir! Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung!" A customary practice when addressing a higher ranking officer. Well for the Korean military at least.

Not looking up from his paperwork the captain waved John off. "At ease."

Dropping his salute John lowered his arms and waited and waited…..and waited. It was only after 15 minutes did the captain give him his full attention.

Seeing the captain's face John had to hold back a snort of amusement. The captain was just barely older than Itami if he remembered correctly, about 35 or 36. Couldn't really remember since that was mostly irrelevant information. His face was that of a career soldier. Somewhat thin from stress and worn from the years of bullshit that came with being in the military. Shaved head as per usual and lips that were pressed tightly together in annoyance. From what it remained to be seen.

His onyx eyes however were that of an eagle. Sharp and calculating but at the same time relaxed.

"So," He started off. "How was the 2 week vacation?"

John crossed his arms, a gesture many officers frowned on when being talked to by enlisted. Korea was like that. "Well to be fair I was drugged up most of the first week." A vain attempt at defense.

"Oh yeah? Well then how was my wife? She treat you well?"

Ah yes, his doctor who happened to be the wife of the captain. Too bad, he would've liked to see her without any clothes on.

John nodded, not showing any emotions about his thoughts. "Yeah, she treated me well. Got my eye fixed and everything." Despite it however the captain had been around John long enough to know what he was thinking. His reputation was rather well known after all.

"Mmhm and I'm sure you wanted her to 'treat' you a little bit more huh? You horny shit."

John shrugged in response, he was who he was.

Sighing the captain took a look around the office. "You know, if the higher ups heard us talking so informally they'd have an aneurysm."

This time John didn't bother holding back a snort. "Yeah, it's all about rank and file with those old fucks. Which is why I am glad that you're my company commander."

The captain raised an eyebrow. "Really is that so….well you're not going to like me for much longer."

A sense of foreboding fell on John. "...what hell is it now?"

"Countess Myui of Italica wants to meet with the unit that defended Italica. So that being said, Recon Team 3 is going back to Italica, like right now." Seeing John's dejected expression he continued. "If it's any consolation, you'll get to eat some fancy food."

"I can care less about food 'cause in the end, food is food, it keeps me alive." John griped in response.

The captain leaned his head on his arms. "...how about the girls? The maids, from what I heard from the guys stationed in Italica, are considered pretty exotic and varied. Even for this land."

"Maybe." John mumbled, not entirely convinced yet. "Anyway, is that all?"

The captain shook his head. "No, I've got one more thing." His posture straightened, causing John to fade into a more serious demeanor. "After you're done with your business in Italica you'll meet up with an ambassador from both Korea and Japan back here, then you will escort them to the capital and they'll begin the process of engaging in diplomatic talks with the king. You and your squad is charged with the protection of the Korean ambassador. You'll have a squad of engineers to help set up shop in the capital and to provide extra support should the need arise. Initially we're looking at discretion, we don't want the Empire knowing about our plans so keep things quiet."

"What about the natives?"

"They won't talk, they dislike the Empire more than we do, establish friendly relations with them. You'll be setting up shop in the red light district." The Empire could care less about them, a sound decision in Johns opinion. Before he could speak however the captain continued. "We also have a squad of the Japanese SFG and Korean 707 in the capital. They'll be conducting their own operations but they'll be your backup in case shit hits the fan."

"Will we be in contact? Or are they completely off the radar?"

"Callsigns will be provided en route to the capitol." He waited a second before continuing. "You'll be in charge of our side of military actions in there, including the engineers. A group that size is usually given over to a higher ranking personnel but for now you'll have to do."

Silence. The question went unsaid. Can you do it?

John's mouth twitched upwards slightly in a small grin. No problem.

Nodding at the confidence displayed the captain continued. "Right, well that's just about it. Work with our ambassador and get us a peaceful resolution."

"Understood." Johns expression tightened. "What about the Japanese ambassador?"

"Secondary." He responded tersely.

"...Understood." With that John saluted before smartly about faced and walked out the office. Presumably to get ready for the trip to Italica.

Seeing the door close the captain let out a sigh but before he could return to his paperwork the phone rang. Grunting in mild annoyance he begrudgingly answered the call, not that he showed it in his voice.

"Captain Yi Hong speaking."

From across the line he heard the distinctive gruff and worn voice of Brigadier General Bak Myun Jie. "Afternoon captain, hope your day has been well."

Immediately he straightened up in his seat, whatever form of annoyance disappearing. "Yes sir, what can I do for you?" His voice clear and concise.

"It's about Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung and his detail of the Korean ambassador. That being said I assume he's reported in?" Blunt and straight to the point, that was the general for you.

Yi Hong furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Yes sir, he has."

"Well, shit." He cursed. "Guess you've gotta tell him otherwise now, oh well. In any case, the plan has been changed a bit. Instead of the good sergeant only providing security and overall command of the group, he'll now be in charge of assisting the ambassador with whatever political bullshit he can pull out of his ass."

The news stumped the captain for any words. John playing the politician? Why? That didn't make any sense, the man was a Marine not a politician. Hell out of everyone he knew John had the biggest grudge against politicians.

"Sir," He started off carefully, not to sound demanding. "Why the sudden change?"

The general scoffed at the question. "Because these backwards fucks are most comfortable with royalty, especially other royal folks. To put it in simple terms the sergeants dad is President Lee Gan Hu, the president of Korea, making him the closest thing to royalty we have. With him being the bloodline of our esteemed leader the Roman copycats have something they're familiar with." In other words….

"We're using him as a card against Japan…." Was the startling conclusion Yi Hong came to. It made sense, the two nations were always competing against each other. This was of course no exception.

Japan didn't have any royalty in the Special Region, no civilians were allowed here. Only the joint task force along with the advisors from the UN were present. If John really was the son of the president which was surprising to say the least then he really would be seen as royalty by the Empire.

"Indeed," The general grunted however he continued before any questions could be asked. "So pass the word to the sergeant and start spreading the rumors of his status now. By the time he begins his operation with the ambassadors, word should've spread far enough for the people to know his name."

He accepted the order reluctantly, not really wanting to see one of his own being used in such a fashion. "...Yes sir." And with that the connection was cut. He ran a hand through his shaved head and let out a sigh. Questions ran through his mind. The most prevalent being the reason why Johns status as the president's son was kept in silence. That didn't happen, presidents were too high profile of individuals, privacy was something they lacked in many situations. Yet for some reason Johns identity was kept in the dark. Potential answers raced through his mind but in the end they were merely speculation, he would have to wait to ask him directly. Even so the thought didn't help any.

His teeth clenched and his grip tightened on the edges of the table as frustration continued to mount. "God damnit…."

* * *

Annnnd that's a wrap. Sweet Jesus this chapter took a while but hey on the bright side my shipping date got moved up from August 8th to July 25th. All I've got left is to graduate in May and prepare to go to hell at Paris Island for my Marine Recruit training. Which means I won't able to update the story for at least 4-5 months. Why 4-5 you ask when recruit training is 3 months?

Well for one, I've got MCT after boot camp which is only about a month since I'm not infantry or a combat MOS. After that I go to MOS training, at least that's how I think it goes but I'm not too sure. Either way I won't be able to write for a good while but that's something a few months down the road, I should be able squeeze out a few more chapters before that.

In any case, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Peace.


	10. Deviant Plot

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day John let out a tired sigh. Within the last few days things had gotten out of control, that being the fact that he was the son of the president being released.

He had a sneaking suspicion when the call came down about the change in his mission parameters. That being his expanded role in the waging of political talks that were rapidly coming up. He only had to wait for the ambassadors to come through before they began their not so little incursion into the capital. Which was actually today, they would be arriving soon enough. Likely around mid day just after lunch time.

It wasn't long after his return to Alpha after the ceremony of sorts with the dear countess of Italica did he start hearing rumors of his new found status.

There was no way it could've been a coincidence, somewhere in the chain of command someone thought that it would be a good idea. Which if he had to give credit, was a smart move, if only at the cost of him personally.

That little tidbit of information was something he wanted to keep under wraps. He simply didn't feel comfortable with that kind of information being released. But apparently he had no choice in the matter. Which fucking sucked if he had to say anything about it. Then again, whatever he said would be wasted breath by now, everyone had heard of the rumors and many had come up to him to confirm it.

Oh he had objected of course in the beginning and a some believed him but now…..well it was far too out of control.

The one silver lining in this whole situation was his company, Checkmate and by extension his squad and even the Japanese element of Recon Team 3. They had been surprised for sure and there was plenty of teasing, with "Your horny highness" being the new popular way to address him but in the end nothing changed too much with them.

These guys were his best friends, males and females alike that he had served for around four years now. They saw him as John Lee, the deviant who rarely thought beyond sex and rock and roll. A reliable if questionable man who enjoyed the finer things in life, such as a firm and tight ass, voluptuous tits and a cute face.

The others, even Marines not so much. The sudden change in his status had thrown them for a loop. Now they more often than not simply avoided him. Not that he really cared, he hardly knew those people especially the JSDF and the Special Region residents around Alnus.

"Feeling tired Lee?" Came the bored voice of his marksman. That was another story entirely as things had been a bit awkward between them the last few days.

John rolled his head back as he put his feet up on the dashboard of his JLTV. "Yeah, with all this bullshit that's been going around. Can't believe this shit." He grumbled out in annoyance.

"Give it a few days, it'll pass over soon." She assured him.

He glanced up at her working on the automated turret of their JLTV. Around them dozens of other JLTVs were being serviced. "Sure hope so."

For a while the pair fell into silence, letting the power tools of the motor pool engulf the area.

"You need anything?" He finally asked out of sheer boredom.

She hummed in thought. "No, not really. I've got everything finished."

He gave her an impressed whistle. "Wow, didn't know you were handy with electronics and all that junk."

She grunted as she fell into the passenger seat besides him. "Not really," She mumbled in dismissal. "All I did was clean the damn thing since no one wanted to. Plus it was a good way to pass the time."

"I know plenty of other ways to pass the time if you're interested." He leered at her, though he didn't make eye contact with her like he usually would.

"Mmm definitely interested but...there's better fish deeper in the ocean." She lightly joked back.

He faked a wince in mock hurt. "Ouch." However it just wasn't the same, not after the mess in Korea. "...it isn't the same is it?"

Kim Han Yoon merely shook her head in response, keeping silent.

"...we've got roughly 3 hours before the ambassadors arrive, you want to work out a bit?" He wanted to keep his promise after all.

She gave him a slight smile, all in for the suggestion and a break from the stifling uncomfortable air between them. "Yeah that sounds good."

"Great, get into your PT gear and meet me back here." With that he hopped out of the car and briskly walked away.

It wasn't long before the pair met back up in their gear before heading out on a little run. It wasn't particularly long nor was it strenuous in nature, she was still feeling sore from the brutal exercises she had gone through while in Korea. It was enough to help loosen her muscles and get the blood pumping again.

There was also the bonus of the fact that it helped pass the time a bit faster as they ran together at a steady pace.

As they ran their course, roughly 5 kilometers, they passed others who had similar thoughts. Curt waves were passed as the groups jogged passed one another.

John lightly jogged along without much thought, just content on letting the scenery slide by without care. Briefly he took a glance over at Kim Han Yoon, who was right there besides him though he could see a slight limp.

'Must be pretty sore from the other day.' He thought to himself though he didn't mention the fact. If she could keep up then that was fine. It wasn't too much of a run anyway, 5 kilometers was a cakewalk to them. Now doing it with a ruck and full combat gear was another story entirely though he looked forward to the day when he could start training her with full gear.

This held especially true due them being infantry, a combat MOS. Marines with a combat MOS were expected to perform at a higher standard than those who weren't. Which was why you rarely saw infantry, combat engineers or artillery crew that were fat. Chunky perhaps but generally pretty skinny or lean.

He took a deep breath of the fresh air. He had said it many times before but the air in Special Region was absolutely fantastic. Going back over to the other side really showed how screwed up their world was. Air pollution ran rampant in just about every major city around the globe.

It was hard to notice if you had lived in the city all your life but coming here and then going back really drove the point in.

Hell it kind of made him want to be one of those nature enthusiast fucks who jacked off to tree saps and leaves. But in the end, point driven home or not, he simply didn't give enough of a damn about mother nature. The eggheads would eventually figure something out.

Shaking the thought out of his mind he stole a glance at his watch. It was 11:47 and they had started just after 11 o'clock. In fact if he was correct then they would be coming up to the finish line soon. Which wasn't a finish line at all, just his word that they had ran 5 kilometers.

So in the end he made her run an extra 2 kilometers, mostly for shits and giggles. Not that she would complain, especially not after the hell his mentor Su Won put her and Shino through the other day.

The fire was lit under her behind, now came the question of whether or not it would stay lit.

After stopping by the showers for a quick rinse he called for the rest of the squad to gather at the mess hall. They could talk while eating, an endeavor that no one had complaints about.

John was already halfway through his meal when everyone had arrived. It didn't mean the squad had all arrived at the same time, the ones who came early were most notably the youngest ones. Them being Kim Tae Ha and Hyung Ben. Still even when they sat down he only greeted them before returning to his food, silently waiting for the rest.

It was only after the final member had sat down did he retreat from his food.

"So…" He started off somewhat awkwardly. He could practically feel the gazes of the other Marines around them. "About all this bullshit…I've said it before but just forget about it. Thinking I'm some VIP is only putting me in an awkward position. Something these fucks around us can't seem to understand!" He had purposely raised his voice to a loud yell.

John and the rest could hear the low grumbles and vain insults thrown back in response but at least now they had some bit of privacy. Kind of, not really. He had lost any semblance of privacy after the rumors had started and that reflected on the people he conversed with.

"We'll try squad leader." Replied Hyung Ben as he dove into his food. Personally speaking, he did find it to be somewhat odd to have the president's son as his squad leader. Any other person and he would've been inclined to act more….proper, respectful even. An act such as that would only further annoy John.

Kim Tae Ha took a drink a of water before speaking. "I see no problem with it sir but honestly just forgetting about it is going to be difficult." He paused seeing John's gaze directed at him. "I mean….you know…"

John pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed. Figured as much. "Yeah…yeah I know. Difficult thing to ask but from you guys, I need this much. Especially for our next mission." The other Marines he could tolerate to an extent, he hardly dealt with anyone outside his direct chain of command or Checkmate anyways.

"I'll do my best sir." Kim Tae Ha affirmed with a nod, an act that John merely shrugged at. There wasn't much more he could ask of them.

For a while the squad kept silent, mostly mulling over the details of their next assignment.

They would be operating in the heart of the Empire, it was safe to say that should things go pear-shaped then direct and immediate support would be out of reach.

Their best bet was Package Romeo, a weapon that had rapidly fallen into some sort of myth by the locals especially those in Italica where they felt firsthand what a railgun could do. To them, it was nothing more than a sudden strike of thunder without any warning.

In the end Package Romeo was more of a psychological weapon in the Special Region than anything else. A very effective one at that.

Setting up shop in the red light district meant that they had some cover to work with. The Empire didn't give two shits about them, which made it prime location for them. At least until negotiations were underway. They would have to convince the king and the senate first before any of that though.

How, was the unasked and unanswered question. The Empire or rather the Senate knew of the power wielded by the Japanese and Koreans. To some they were terrified, with good reason. Their incursion force of roughly 60,000 was wiped out in Ginza. Their Imperial Army was slaughtered in Alnus and the Allied Army met the same fate shortly later.

Some way or another they'd play to those fears. That, was left up to the ambassadors...at least in any other circumstances. John was now partly responsible for that too.

Thinking about it made him groan in disgust. Something the others caught as they almost languidly ate their food, mostly to kill time as they waited for the ambassadors.

"Something wrong squad leader?" Asked Hyung Ben, taking a brief break from eating.

Jong Han gave his two cents. "Probably from thinking about his added responsibility as a politician."

"You mean added bullshit."

Jong Hans only response was to shrug and turn back to his tray of food. Wasn't his problem.

"Sir, why do you think they released that information? Especially now?"

"Because I'm the closest thing to royalty we've got and the Empire is familiar with royalty."John replied in disdain, his fist clenching. "All the fucking politicians want is to be better than the Japanese. We've always been like this, Japan and Korea that is. It's never a civil deal, there is no give only take." He scoffed, this was why he hated politicians.

"Politicians drag things out and make it more complicated than it already is. They play with words and say what people want to hear, not what's needed. But then again I guess that's the fault of the ignorant mass that eat up that political fuckery."

"...you feel strongly about this don't you sir." It was the first time he had heard that kind of tone from the squad leader.

John merely grunted in response, he supposed so. There were very few politicians he liked. Coincidentally none of them were alive at this point. Guys like Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt were the kind of politicians he actually liked but then again, everyone adored the two Roosevelts.

Thinking back, there wasn't a president nor politician of Korea that he really liked. There was President Park Geun-hye, the first female Korean president back in the early 2000s. She perhaps came the closest but even then it was best to say he disliked her than hated her.

He shook his head at that, no point in thinking about that.

"Sir I've got a another question." Kim Tae Ha said, getting his attention once again. "When you think this will stay a Korean and Japan only operation?

We've already got the advisors from the five permanent security council nations as a compromise to letting us be the first ones here in the Special Region."

The first ones, not the only ones.

The question got him and the others thinking. It had been a few months now since D-Day and so far the other nations hadn't truly pushed for anything much. China had been the most assertive with their massively growing population and in that respect so had been India.

Russia was strangely quiet and so had been the others, at least publicly.

"Honestly, I have no clue. So far nothing insane has happened." Relatively speaking of course, the whole situation was crazy anyway. "I'd say when we fuck up is when we start seeing US Marines and the like."

"What about China and the others?"

John hummed in deep thought. "...China is really pushing for a piece of land to dump a portion of their population. Question is if they do, how much of their population? Those rabbit fucking chinks are at 2 billion right now. Even if they unload a million people here, it ain't gonna do shit."

"They'd probably have to send at least over several million to even make a dent." Kim Han Yoon surmised. "And that isn't even talking about India…" She quietly trailed off.

"Well it isn't my problem, I'll just leave that to the politicians." Jong Han spoke in a flippant manner and as a slight jab at his best friend.

John sighed in exasperation as he felt the jab. At this point he wasn't even going to give Jong Han the standard "fuck you" response. It was something that he had come to terms with, at least partially. He still planned on taking the backseat and let the ambassador, an actual politician, take charge of negotiations.

If a so-called royal presence was needed then his hands were tied, only then would he get involved.

He wasn't a politician, he was simply a Marine.

* * *

With a defeated groan John slumped into the driver's seat of his JLTV. Dealing with the Korean ambassador was going to be a pain, he knew that from the get go. Yet he never expected the kind of man they'd actually send.

A stereotypical politician, a rather shrewd at that. Tall, perhaps slightly taller than him and had one the most beady eyes he'd seen. The man, even at first glance was a lifelong politician much like his own dad.

Thankfully the only negative in the situation was the fact that the man was a politician. He was cordial, quite educated and a decent guy overall. Couldn't have been much older than Itami in fact but even so the man had the eyes of a politician.

Sharp, calculating and looking at every angle to take advantage of. Perfect for the job, much better than himself. However all that was foreshadowed by one single fact, he was the son of the president. The ambassador, Yi Sang Yoon was not.

The Japanese ambassador, Sugawara had been the same way. Though he seemed to be a younger more relaxed version of Yi Sang Yoon. Either way he was going to have to get used to working with them for the foreseeable future.

"Ready to go?" Kim Han Yoon asked from her seat behind him.

"Yeah." He mumbled blandly. All his gear, both old and the new additions were ready. All of it double, triple and quadruple checked to ensure proper functionality.

She frowned as she heard the emotionless reply. Leaning forward in her seat she poked her head over John's shoulder. "Come on, it isn't that bad." She lightly admonished him. Not hearing a response she changed tactics. "Well on the bright side we received the K2-A4. We're finally getting some up to date equipment now."

John perked up as he fiddled with his new rifle. "You mean only me and Jong Han. Everyone else still has the older variants, without the counterbalance system."

She sighed in exasperation, there was no winning with him. "It's fine, recoil is something we're all taught to compensate for. The counterbalance feature of the A4 isn't that significant."

John didn't bother holding in a snort. "You mean the feature that literally negates recoil? The counterbalance system in the A4 makes it an A4, without it, it'd be the A3."

"Come on Lee," She gently prodded him, ignoring his little outburst. "Enough of that, you've got more pressing responsibilities to take care of."

Backing down John released the tension in his shoulders and breathed out through his nose. 'Yeah I do have better things to do. Namely making sure everyone is squared away.' He thought to himself. That and the ensured safety of the Korean ambassador took precedence over anything else.

For the first time in what seemed like forever John gave her a small but genuine smile. "Yeah, thanks for the remainder."

He lightly thumbed the selector switch of his newly assigned K2-A4 as he contacted the rest of the group. "Checkmate 31 Actual here, is everyone ready?"

The first to respond was his second in command. "Checkmate 31 is ready sir." Bun Jung Hua's soft voice made it easy to distinguish it over anyone else's. Either that or you simply couldn't hear him entirely, which was an issue.

"Vic One here, we're good."

"Vic Two is ready." John chucked as he heard the eagerness in the voices of the combat engineers. They were chomping at the bits to get going, tired from being stuck in Alpha for as long as they had.

"Good shit," He raised Itami over the net. "Itami, what's up man? You ready?"

"Yeah we're ready to head out."

He nodded in satisfaction. "Fucking fantastic, everyone on me. We're on point, LAV you're on rear guard." With a round of affirmatives he powered up the car and drove out of the lot, the rest of the group trailing behind closely.

"Anyone know how long it's gonna take for us to get to the capital?" Jong Han asked as they passed through the gate and into the heart of the Special Region.

"Already bored?" John asked in amusement.

Jong Han shrugged. "Just wondering you know, kind of boring driving in silence."

"So you want music?" Kim Han Yoon surmised, not at all surprised. The man liked his music.

"Of course." Jong Han said with some enthusiasm. "So put something on dick-ass, let the music flow through you."

John scoffed at the demand. "Oh there'll be more than music flowing through you if you keep this shit up."

Jong Han's face contorted in faux disgust, mostly for show. "Gay."

"Only when dicks touch." John quipped back but nonetheless swiping through his playlist on his phone. "Grab the pill for me man, you know where it is."

Without a word Jong Han bent forward and reached his hand underneath his seat. Straightening out he brought up a portable speaker, most notably with the Beats logo and pill-like shape.

Placing the speaker on top of the dashboard, he secured the speaker by wedging into the glass. Pulling back he gave John a thumbs up before leaning back into his seat.

Kim Han Yoon pulled herself forward, interested. "What are you going to put on?" Though she knew half of the answer beforehand, the two rarely listened to Korean songs. They listened to older rock more than anything else, like those from the early 2000s. Five Finger Death Punch and some others being the few she knew.

All in all, rock in general wasn't her cup of tea, especially hard rock that the two seemed to enjoy.

"You've never heard of Disturbed before have you?"

She shook her head, of course she hasn't.

A large smile etched itself on Johns face. "Oh trust me, everyone who has heard of Disturbed loves them. Only faggots and sailors don't, bunch of fuck boys."

"And airmen, don't forget them." Jong Han added.

He nodded in agreement. "True, they're the ultimate fuck boys."

Kim Han Yoon had her doubts, chances were it was some hard rock bullshit that she'd have to sit through again.

* * *

"So this it huh?" John mumbled in disgust as he looked upon Akusho from his perch inside the rundown house that'd be their new base. Outside their vehicles were parked in the column while everyone else played sentry duty, keeping any unwanted visitors at bay.

Even so the residents of Akusho took the chance to glance at the new arrivals, many of them being humanoid creatures. It weirded him out seeing them, Kurata and Itami however seemed quite excited. No surprise there.

Akusho was a shit hole, meant as a garbage dump for any unwanted by the Empire. Poverty and crime was the norm here, even from his perch he could see the hopeless eyes of the individuals. The kind of eyes where caution was necessary, these people had nothing to lose. Death was preferable to many. Dangerous.

His grip on his K2-A4 tightened as he cradled it in his arms. 50 meters. At this distance he couldn't miss, though he'd rather not use his weapon if at all possible. Causing a commotion wasn't wanted by anyone.

From deeper inside he could hear the workings of the engineers as they worked on bringing the base up to standards such as electricity, plumbing and the like. How they planned on doing that was mystery, personally he didn't care how they did it as long as it was done.

Suddenly Hyung Ben's voice came over the net. "Squad leader, tagging a couple. On your HUD now."

Grunting he slid down the black visor that was housed within his helmet. Immediately the street was filled with a handful of individuals highlighted in yellow, deeming them as potential combatants.

He scanned his eyes, both new and old, over to where Hyung Ben was posted. The young Marine was behind his JLTV, his bulky K11 held across his chest. The hybrid gun/grenade launcher platform was one of the earlier models, making it rather bulky to carry. The later variants reduced some of that but none were issued for this operation.

"3 in front?" He asked while pulling out a protein bar from his pack.

"Yes, should I load the tear gas?"

He frowned, it was a better alternative than simply blasting the area with a salvo of 20mm grenades and with the shoddy structure of the buildings the damage potential of the K11 was rather high. Even so tear gas worked both ways and the wind here was surprisingly unforgiving, constantly changing directions. And personally he didn't want to put on his gas mask.

"No, you're fine as is." He could see Hyung Ben shift uncomfortably. The scrutiny of the natives was starting to get to him. "Keep calm young one, they're just curious."

"Yes sir."

Lightly munching on his protein bar he took a sip from his camel. Old school but still very functional, convenient too. Getting up from his perch he made his way downstairs.

Reaching what was the living room he let out a low whistle. The place was slowly starting to come together.

'Those engineers sure work fast.' He thought in amusement as he watched the combat engineers work feverishly to bring some semblance of comfort to the old house.

Turning his attention away from them he found the two ambassadors sitting down at a table quietly talking amongst themselves. Over the power tools and occasional yelling it was only until he was right on top of them did he catch their conversation.

"...it would be a good idea to bring him. I'm telling you this now, the Empire respects royalty over anything else. Our weapons aren't enough to make them stand down, not all of them at least."

"Yes but at the benefit of your country over my own. We don't have a figure such as him here in the Special Region."

And immediately decided to walk in the other direction, opposite of the two arguing politicians.

'Fuck that shit.' He thought with disdain, a frown marring his face.

From behind him he could hear Yi Sang Yoon's voice float over the miscellaneous sounds of construction. "This isn't about my or your country, the only thing that matters is showing a united front to the Empire. We need to convince as much of the Senate to see reason and he's our best chance!"

So painfully obvious what they were conversing about and he wanted no part of it. Honestly fighting a political battle wasn't his forte. Which was why he was a grunt, he received orders and carried them out. To some extent he issued orders as well, just to a smaller scale than the higher ranking officers.

'What a bunch of fucking dick-asses.' He thought to himself in a grimace.

Sighing he opened the door and stepped out into the streets. Making his way to his second in commands JLTV he popped his HUD visor once more.

Briefly his lone eye glanced over at some of the potential problem cases though with the dark tinted visor no one could clearly see underneath. Both hiding his eyepatch and giving them a psychological edge. They looked quite intimidating with those dark visors over the upper portion of their faces, well the Marines at least.

The JSDF didn't bother bringing in their higher end gear yet. The standard equipment while ready for deployment was held off for the moment, much to the soldiers displeasure. Humping around those bulky Type-64s was starting piss off a good portion of their men and women.

He didn't bother with being subtle as he waltzed right up besides Bun Jung Hua. "So, you ready to take over the squad?" John asked abruptly, catching the Sergeant off guard.

"Sir?" He asked tentatively, not sure what his squad leader exactly meant.

John nodded. "Yeah, I'm probably gonna be busy with this whole cocktail monkey-dick bullshit that's been going on lately. You're gonna be in charge soon."

In response all he received was pure silence from the man. A telling sign that Bun Jung Hua was in fact not at all ready, a worrying thought for sure. The man while dependable was simply not a leader. He was too reclusive, hardly conversing with his squad mates and only doing so when it was absolutely needed.

John had been trying to break him out of shell for the last few years to little success. There were glimpses of improvement but hardly drastic. The rest was up to internal motivation, he had done his part well enough. And so bearing this in mind he gave the man an honest breakdown of what he thought.

"Of course you ain't ready, you haven't done jack shit these past few years. The way you are now, you are not fit to be second in command. I have half a mind to put Kim Han Yoon as second in command instead of you. That would be the most sensible choice." He could see the sergeant shrinking into himself. "She's more approachable and the squad will no doubt receive orders from from her better than you."

His voice stayed the same, loud and clear but quiet enough so that no one else could hear the conversation. "Yet despite that are you ready to keep going and seek improvement or are you going to quit?"

For a while Bun Jung Hua stayed silent, replaying the speech and the past few years in his mind. His squad leader was right, he had done practically nothing since he was deemed as John's second in command after boot camp.

From those days John had been a constant presence, seldom was he needed. Even so...

"...Sir, I want to keep going." He mumbled in his monotone voice. To his surprise when he looked up, he found his squad leader casually walking away as he ripped open another protein bar.

John turned around to give him a brief glance. "Well good shit then, get to work. You're in charge of this shit out here." With that he ambled back into the house, leaving the near silent second in command in charge of the security detail.

Breathing out through his nose Bun Jung Hua scanned the surrounding area, now bustling with increased civilian activity.

"Well...shit."

* * *

Clicking his tongue in annoyance John hatefully tugged at his robe that he would have to wear for today.

Today was the big day where political talks would begin, not officially of course. They would have to garner some more support from the Senate first though from what Pina had said it shouldn't be too much work. The doves were pushing for peace anyway, they just needed a small push to get the ball rolling.

Their biggest challenges had to be the stubborn king. Him and the warhawks were the chief reason why they simply couldn't barge in there yelling 'Korea and Japan, we come in peace!'

Well in a crude fashion they could do that. They had the means and ability to do so but brute force would only take them so far. Political maneuvering was crucial here where gaining the most amount of support for the doves was paramount.

It was only after gaining a solid foundation would they reveal themselves, if it all went to plan that is. A plan rarely saw contact with the enemy and survived, such was the need for contingencies. And theirs were in the form of the unmanned jets that had been sent over and the special forces teams from both nations running around in the capital. A rather nasty surprise for the Empire should it come down to it.

A knock sounded on his door. "Your horny highness please hurry the fuck up." Ah he knew that voice.

"Fuck off you queer, I ain't in the mood for bullshit."

Hearing a muffled "whatever" through the door he looked at himself once more, making sure everything was clean and set properly.

'God I hate those greasy haired goat fuckers for putting me in this shit hole of a mess.' He angrily thought to himself as he opened the door in a violent manner.

The aged door, not rated for the violent force swung open and smashed against the wall, causing splinters of wood to fly apart. With a dying creak of rusted metal the door hung by the hinges before it too fell, causing a ruckus that echoed throughout the safehouse.

Jong Han took the moment to comment on the situation with an amused smirk. "Well damn, the prince is in need of some anger management classes because holy Jesus you are tilted."

John's only response was to kick the downed door.

A rush of footsteps later one of the engineers made his presence known, quite vocally too. "The hell man?! I don't know what crawled up your ass but you need to calm your holy tits because this house isn't rated for an angry Marine stampeding everywhere. Shits barely holding together as is."

"Uh-huh...come back to me when we've got indoor plumbing. Until then fix what's broken and shut the fuck up." John shot back at the man before shoving his way past him.

The engineer glared at Johns retreating back before turning to the only other Marine present. "The hell crawled up his ass and died? The prince is extra angsty today."

Jong Han shuffled with his gear before making his way past the still engineer. "Don't worry about him, it's his time of the month." With a nonchalant wave Jong Han followed after his friend's footsteps.

"Oh and by the way," He added as an afterthought. "Don't let him hear you calling him 'prince,' he'll rip your ass a new one."

The engineer only rolled his eyes in response. "Yeah yeah whatever, we'll clean up the mess. Yadda yadda, just thank us when you fucks got indoor plumbing and electricity."

"Will do." With a mocking salute Jong Han carefully made his way the stairs, the steps groaning under the weight.

Hearing the groans of protest from the wooden stairs the engineer let out a tired sigh before glancing down at his watch. It was already 0720. "I guess we're starting early today…"

* * *

The trip to the heart of the capital was, enlightening to say the least. Sitting upon their horse drawn carriage like royalty had garnered a bit attention but fortunately no trouble.

They had heard of the Empire's use of slaves but today was the first time they saw it. Slavery of non humans were of the biggest quantity, open trading and selling was normal here. Females were most often sold as sex slaves, concubines and playthings for the rich. It had disgusted everyone to the core however their hands were tied, at least for now.

Pina knew of their laws against slavery and the exploitation of sentient beings. Hopefully she could work things out, if not heads were gonna roll and the Empire would feel the terror of the power of the elite of their world.

Those being the handful of individuals such as the Korean and Japanese SF teams deployed in the Special Region. They no doubt already had targets of opportunities lined up should the need arise.

Stepping out of the carriage John took the moment to gaze at the marble buildings surrounding them. A symbol of wealth and power over the weak, Akusho was a prime example.

He was broken out of his stupor by a feminine voice. "I am glad that you were able arrive safely,please come we have much to do." Craning his head towards the voice he found Pina's aide, Hamilton standing there in front of them in her typical armor.

Their little entourage of two ambassadors and himself followed her closely as she led the way. Like before they were the center of some scrutinizing gazes but were otherwise left alone.

"You picked the perfect time to do this you know." She started off.

"How so?" Sugawara asked, taking passing glances at the scenery.

"Today, there is a banquet for the officials from the vassal states. Slipping in between all those officials isn't a hard thing to conceive."

So they got lucky then. Good, less bullshit for him then. Taking his mind off the upcoming political shitstorm John took the moment to glance the palace, more specifically the maids.

'Heh low key want to see her in her birthday suit.' He thought lewdly as he took an appreciative glance at a particular maid. He was broken out of his trance by a hand on his shoulder.

"We aren't here for you to have fun, keep your head on straight son. You're representing Korea here." Yi Sang Yoon scolded him in a low voice, not to be heard by the others.

John couldn't help a scoff. "No I think you mean that I'm representing you greedy fuckers. None of you shits give a damn about peace anyway." It was simply a byproduct of competing against Japan. An objective to be crossed out like a fucking list.

The ambassador opened his mouth to retort but was cut off. "Shut your shit you mindless sack of meat. I know my job, just remember yours." With a lasting glare the Korean squad leader trudged forward catching up to Hamilton and Sugawara.

With a sigh the aged man lightly walked after the group. 'His dossier said he disliked politicians but to this extent? God it's gonna be interesting working with him.' This bordered on raw hatred than anything else.

* * *

'Wonder how they're doing right now?' Bun Jung Hua thought as he took to the streets once more. Around him were their vehicles set out in plain sight, a problem waiting to explode.

The second in command frowned as he gazed out into the mixed crowd of humanoid creatures. The fact that their vehicles had been out in plain sight was a rather sour pill to swallow. Even with security measure put in along with and active sentry at night it still didn't feel right. The thought had been bugging him all day.

He turned to take a glance at Itami, the older officer sitting on the hood of his truck and chatting with Kurata. With no little amount of apprehension he slowly approached the pair. The temptation to simply turn back was strong but he continued forward, he had told John that he would continue as second in command. John had trusted that responsibility unto him.

The thought made him nauseous. He never had the desire to lead, only follow. It was what he had done all of his life. His family told him to join the Marine Corps, so he did. His family told him to have a long military career, so he followed despite the fact he abhorred the thought of being a career soldier.

His life had so far been one where he had followed without much thought. Any objections or opinions were kept silent, such was his nature and for the most part John let him be. Until now that is.

Now he was in command of the squad and was responsible for coordinating with Itami.

"Sir." He spoke quietly in a stiff voice, interrupting their conversation. For his part Itami looked surprised at his sudden appearance

"Y-yeah? What do you need?" Itami asked in a surprised and awkward manner.

"...do you think it's a good idea to put these vehicles in a garage of some sort, sir?"

Itami hummed as he thought of an answer. "Well...yeah, it's probably a good idea to hide these somewhere." He lightly tapped the hood for emphasis. "The damn things garner too much attention for my liking and the fact that these are out in the open is asking for it to get stolen even with overwatch."

Bun Jung Hua eased up slightly getting more used to Itami's relaxed presence. "Where though? We don't have a place large enough to house all these vehicles."

"Well…." Itami mumbled. "It wouldn't be a bad idea to keep just your JLTVs out here, maybe even with the LAV too. We could stow away the rest somewhere close by."

"Where though?"

Itami absent-mindedly rubbed the back of his head. "Your guess is the same as mine." He shrugged.

Bun Jung Hua merely nodded at the statement before turning around and walking inside their "base" in Akusho.

"You know," Kurata suddenly said, getting Itami's attention. "That's like the third time I've heard that guy speak."

Itami rolled his eyes. "You're exaggerating Kurata."

"Well….maybe a bit but you know I'm right. For being second in command the guy rarely talks, he's detached from his unit. I mean look at Pops, he's pretty old but the man knows how to talk his men. Real friendly and approachable." Indeed Kuwahara was reliable and trustworthy. The aged soldier was a veteran, quite wise too. That along with his friendly disposition made him something of a father figure within the team.

Itami wouldn't have anyone else as his second in command. Now when he looked at Johns adjutant he was none of that. No redeemable qualities, at least from his point of view.

"Yeah you're right but John must have seen something for him to ask me for help."

Kurata seemed surprised at that. "Help? When did this happen?"

"Couple days ago." Itami confessed. "He asked me to look over Bun Jung Hua while he's busy."

"Huh, that's surprising." Understatement of the century. The Korean squad leader never had the best opinion of Itami especially after the evacuation of the Coda villagers. He didn't hate Itami but he didn't necessarily like him either.

Of course Itami knew all of this. Which was why he usually gave the man some space, so imagine his surprise when John had walked up to him and asked for help.

It showed that despite his rough exterior the man really did care about his men and women.

Breathing put through his nose Itami took the chance to crane his head backwards, staring into the red-orange skies. The darkness of night was right around the corner, hopefully the diplomatic team would return by then.

"So….how do you think everything went today?" He was broken out of his thoughts by Kurata once more.

"I don't know." He answered honestly. "Knowing them, probably well enough though, at least for the first day."

Kurata cocked his head in confusion. "Why do you say that?"

Itami took the moment to prop his head against the windshield. "The ambassadors, Sugawara and Yi Sang Yoon, they're both seasoned politicians. Sugawara is younger but the guy is a natural at this and I think I don't have to say anything about Yi Sang Yoon. Those two alone would be enough in all honesty."

"But John..."

Itami nodded. "Yeah, John. I feel bad for him, you know because he got dragged into a mess he never wanted to be a part of." In a way he pitied the man on a small level.

Despite his flaws the guy he was a good man and a competent leader yet his government used him like a pawn. They had revealed his hidden status, manipulated his newfound elevated position and took advantage of him. All for their own little agenda.

It disgusted him to the core. The careless manipulation of the higher ups of the Korean government and at the same time, he was disgusted at his own leadership.

Competing against each other for dominance of the Special Region, of the hidden resources deep underground. Their little crusade of peace between them and the Empire was nothing more than a cheap facade for the public. Anyone who looked underneath the political propaganda understood the true nature of the joint operation.

They didn't need the attack drones. They didn't need all these high tech equipment. They didn't need the special operations forces here.

But it proved their superiority to the natives of the Special Regions. The silent threat of annihilation loomed over them. After all, it was only under the threat of destruction did Pina think of peace.

She saw firsthand what they were capable of at Italica and it terrified her. Which was why she was running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to garner support for the doves.

"Hey isn't that them?" Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Following Kurata's finger Itami craned his head and found the familiar carriage barreling down the road.

The driver was a resident of Akusho, a human one at that. Paid off with a generous sum of the money gained from selling the dragon scales to keep silent. Long as they had money then they had enough power to throw around here, though understandably they had to be a bit cautious. With the Gonzori, Medusa, Paramount and Bessara families being the four prominent powers in Akusho. It was advisable to avoid confrontation with them and steer clear of any unwanted attention.

They already had a footprint here, any bigger and it would draw in unwanted attention.

The pair watched as the carriage slowed to a stop. The doors swung open and the first person they saw was the Korean ambassador. Rushing past him was John as he began to tear off the articles of clothing he had to wear.

The look of disgust was in plain sight of everyone to see. Yi Sang Yoon merely shook his head in a disapproving manner before making his way into the building, giving Itami a small glance along the way.

Lastly a tired looking Sugawara ambled out of the carriage before leaning on Itami's car.

Itami looked on with no small amount of amusement, no doubt John had been a pain. "So how did everything go?"

"Wonderfully…" Sugawara sighed out before loosening his own robes. "Princess Pina promised that she'd work something out in the upcoming days to gather all the doves for some event."

"What event?"

Sugawara shrugged. "Not entirely sure but it's got something to do with trying to pressure the senators into action. Get them to really see what we're capable of."

Itami didn't say anything as he sat up straighter. "I just hope everything works out in the end. I'd prefer if we don't fight any more than we need to."

Sugawara merely grunted in agreement. In the end there was only so much they could do, the real work had to be done by Pina. She had to be the one to organize everything, they merely had to follow her lead on this. At least until they had a decent foothold.

Until then the responsibility fell to a 19 year old princess and in all honesty he didn't know how to feel about that.

Inside their "base" which was coming along quite nicely, John laid down on the couch in the livingroom. Back in his BDUs he gingerly nibbled on a MRE.

The damn thing was packed with calories, enough for two or three meals if you didn't eat yourself into a stupor. On the table laid a bottle of water and his rifle.

"This is utter horseshit." He grumbled in discontent to himself.

A monotone voice spoke up from behind him. "That bad sir?"

Perking up John turned his head to find his rather exhausted looking second in command. He idly wondered if there was some trouble during the day. The man shouldn't so tired from just standing sentry.

"Mmhmm but what about you? You look like you got into a fight with a lawnmower….and lost." A bit of an exaggeration but it got the point across.

Bun Jung Hua shook his head. "...nothing much sir."

John frowned. "Can't be, now talk to me bud and stop it with the sir's. I only let Kim Tae Ha call me that 'cause the guy a youngin." Bun Jung Hua had been his second in command for just over 4 years now. Him and Kim Han Yoon had been under his command the longest. Yet his relationship with the quiet man had barely changed in those 4 years.

It was partly his fault, he probably should've done more but he had brushed it off for the most part. Only half-assed attempt which resulted in practically nothing. Now he was scrambling to see if Bun Jung Hua could actually lead instead of being the figurehead second in command he had been thus far.

"...I was trying to find a good place to store our vehicles. Having them out in the open seems like a bad idea."

A small smile etched itself on Johns face. "Yeah, you think so?"

Bun Jung Hua nodded. "Yes, it draws too much attention….having our Vics out in the open like that is asking for trouble."

Sitting up he looked straight at the man with both his eyes, the eyepatch finally being discarded. It wouldn't do going while looking like a fucking pirate so he had forgone the damn thing. His eye was pretty much all healed up anyway.

"So," He said, leaning back into the couch. "What's your solution?"

Bun Jung Hua seemed to fidget at the question. "I….went around asking if they knew of a vacated building nearby."

"And?"

"...No progress." He seemed embarrassed at that.

Even so John couldn't help but lightly pat the man on the shoulder before gesturing him to sit on the seat across from him. "There are a lot of things wrong with the way you're approaching this. Do you know what they are?"

For while the man stayed silent, thinking. Frustration became apparent as a frown marred Bun Jung Hua's face.

"Well I'll tell you a couple." He held up a finger. "First what makes you think these people want to help you?"

The question surprised the second in command, he hadn't even thought of that.

"These people don't like the Empire but at the same time they don't care for us. Right now their dislike for the Empire is the only thing keeping them silent. Well that and money." He held up a second finger. "Which leads into point number two. Since they won't help, what's the best way to convince them?"

"Money?" Bun Jung Hua asked in an uncertain voice.

"Bingo." He leaned forward. "Money is power Bun Jung Hua. People say knowledge is power but in the end look at the people in power see the similarities. One thing they all have in common is that they're stupid rich. They're stupid yet they're stupid rich, what does that tell you?"

"...but isn't that illegal?"

He snorted. "Your point? Just be smart about it." For a moment Bun Jung Hua opened and closed his mouth, trying to say something but coming up with nothing. In the end he settled for a court nod before getting up and walking away. His opinion of his squad leader slightly different now.

"Oh and before I forget." Johns voice floated through the living room, unheard by anyone else as the sounds of construction filled the house. "The house next door belongs to the Bessara family. You know, one of the 'Big Four' as they like to call it."

Jaw tightening Bun Jung Hua merely nodded before walking away.

Giving the retreating man a sidelong glance John simply shrugged before returning to his meal. Whether or not Bun Jung Hua was resourceful enough to find a solution would be seen within the next few days. Along with it, he'd see whatever Pina had in store for them.

Something to show themselves off, most likely. Try and convince the Senate to see reason.

Taking a swig of water from a bottle he silently mulled over the political mess he was a part of now.

So far he had played a minimal partin the talk of politics, at least he thought so. The moment that idiot of a loudmouth Korean ambassador mentioned his status, the senators were practically hopping on his dick. If anything that little fact alone was probably enough to change some of the more hard headed senators. Hell it was probably the reason why things were progressing at a fast rate.

'At this point might as well go balls deep and fucking committ to this bullshit.' If he was going to go through some shit then he might as well make it his shit. Weird thought but few people understood his trains of thought. With it in many cases, contradictory to something said or done previously.

Committing to this meant that he could change the flow of talks. At this point all these people recognized him as was simply a 'Prince' or some other variation of royalty. Avoiding it meant keeping the status quo. Facing it head on meant he could make real changes and create an impact here, one beyond the agendas of the politicians or anyone else high in the chain of command.

A devious smile creeped onto his face causing some discomfort to the engineers around him.

You simply didn't use John Lee without facing some repercussions. If he was going to be used then he'd do anything in his power to do things his own way. For better or worse, it didn't matter to him. As long as he put those fuckers in a difficult position then he'd be satisfied.

Unfortunately for them, being satisfied rarely stopped him from going a step further.


End file.
